THE SPINNING BAIT AND ITS TACKLE 135 



is given a painted tin monstrosity, or possibly a new 

 form of spoon bait. Armed with this and a line strong 

 enough to hold a 6o-lb. salmon, he goes down to his 

 friend's water some sunny day in October, gets caught 

 up in weeds, finds that his line kinks, the numerous 

 swivels notwithstanding, and feels immensely proud 

 of himself if at the close of the day he has a brace of 

 fish weighing 4 or 5 Ib. each. Spinning carried out 

 on these lines is certainly not so successful as live- 

 baiting. 



Looking back some twenty-six years, it seems to 

 me that the description of the day on which I first 

 cast a spinning bait would be an excellent illustration 

 of the art of how not to do it. Our family were at 

 Bournemouth one winter, and an elder brother and my- 

 self determined to catch pike in the Avon at Ringwood. 

 My brother was very well fitted up in the matter of 

 tackle. I had nothing beyond an eight-plait tanned 

 hemp line and a very antiquated wooden reel, which 

 was, in fact, nothing more than a wooden spool 

 revolving on a spindle. I searched about the town 

 for a rod, but could only get a poor thing of bamboo 

 suitable for roach fishing. But I took the little rings 

 off it, bought some wire at the ironmonger's, and 

 bound on some big upright rings. We had been 

 told we could get tackle in Ringwood at the post 



