JANUARY 41 



spinner of the Archer-Chapman class (Pig. 27), and with 

 this I have not found it necessary to use lead save in 

 exceptional circumstances. For very shallow weedy 

 waters such as the Upper Kennet and its tributaries I 

 have done great execution with that excellent artificial 

 bait, the Wagtail (Fig. 28). This bait has often enabled 

 me to have a good day's sport when I have been unable 

 to get a supply of bait. 



By pulling the rubber wings off the central support, 

 the bait can be weighted by rolling lead wire round and 

 then replacing the wings. En passant, it should be said 

 that for these Southern rivers I have found the brown- 

 coloured kill better than the blue ; and those mounted on 



PATENT 



Fig 28. Wagtail Spinner on Out. 



twisted gut seem more attractive than those on gimp, 

 and last sufficiently long. 



Live-baiting in the ordinary way may be tried occasion- 

 ally in still mill-heads or weir pools, but it is not much 

 good as a rule for this river. As to live and dead gorge- 

 fishing, I know nothing and care less ; for a method 

 that of necessity kills every fish captured does not as 

 sport commend itself to me in the very least degree. It 

 should in justice, however, be said that by gorge-fishing 

 good fish are every year taken on this river, although 

 some of the largest specimens have been taken by snap- 

 fishing, either paternoster or live bait float-fishing. 



The pike of the Kennet are a very different class of 

 fish from those of the Broads. Of a grand type, the 

 average pike of the Southern streams are short, slab- 

 sided powerful fellows, able to contend against strong 

 currents ; they compare well with the trout, inhabiting 



