MODERN METHODS OF SPINNING 153 



requires slightly less labour to draw in the line with 

 the hand than to reel up every time. As a rule I 

 cast neither up stream nor down, but across, and 

 rather down than up. I always allow my bait to sink 

 sufficiently and here the personal equation comes 

 in before commencing to spin it, and to spin slowly 

 and steadily. 



Some men believe that a wobbly bait is more 

 attractive to the pike than one which spins in a 

 straight line. I must say I have little faith in the 

 wobble. In waters which are little fished, pike take 

 a bait whether it wobbles or not ; but in these times 

 of piscine education the straight spin is preferable. 

 A few years ago trailing used to be allowed on the 

 Thames, and almost everyone who went out fishing 

 in a punt used to trail a spinning-bait astern on the 

 way to the fishing ground. Many pike were caught 

 in this way, far more than by spinning proper, and the 

 Thames professional fishermen, who were masters 

 of the craft, agreed without exception that the bait 

 should spin well and without a wobble. In fact, a 

 man who did not make his bait spin straight was 

 regarded as a bungler. 



Spinning from the reel is a most artistic proceed- 

 ing. A Nottingham winch is requisite ; that is to 

 say, one with rather a large barrel, and so carefully 



