ATTACHING THE PARR-TAIL. 135 



in the course of a few seconds, either at the water-side, 

 or by the wader on the lid of his creel. No. 2 of the 

 above illustrations exhibits the figure of the parr-tail, 

 as ready for use. In No. 3, it is represented, as 

 affixed to the tackle, C forming the head or foremost 

 portion, and D the other extremity of the bait. Now, the 

 advantages of this mode of attaching it are very evident. 

 To satisfy himself with respect to them, let the angler, 

 by way of experiment, adopt what is seemingly the 

 the more natural method of baiting, let him retain the 

 finny portions of the tail, arid place the end denoted 

 by the letter D, foremost. The first cast taken by him 

 may, not improbably, as regards the spinning of his 

 lure, prove pretty satisfactory, and should the stream 

 run strong, those immediately succeeding it, may still 

 meet his expectations. In a short time, however, he 

 begins to find all going wrong the bait refusing, in 

 spite of two or more box-swivels, to spin at all, or spin- 

 ning only by fits and starts, awkwardly and inefficiently; 

 its appearance, moreover, totally altered, the skin 

 loosened, the fleshy parts flabby and worn away by the 

 action of the water, which they come into violent con- 

 tact with, and in fact, the possibility of a trout seizing 

 it utterly at an end. Let him, however, by way of 

 change, adopt the mode of baiting above recommended. 

 The advantages derived from it will quickly discover 

 themselves. Not only, indeed, will the parr-tail spin 

 with more freedom and regularity, its heavier portion 

 being lowermost, but it will last, to boot, for a much 

 greater length of time, and frequently subserve to cap- 

 ture two or three fish. All this is owing to the narrow 

 and protected part being attached foremost, conse- 

 quently the opposing current is confined in its action 

 upon the bait to the lower and expanding extremity 



