SPINNING FOR PIKE 73 



intended effect. The pipe lead has a wire run through it, 

 which is attached to the trace by a wire eye at one end and 

 one or two swivels at the other (see Plate IV, Fig. 7). This 

 struck me as being a little cumbrous, and I brought out the 

 " Field " lead (see Plate IV, Fig. 8), which is secured from 

 shifting by a small plug thrust into the pipe to jamb the line ; 

 and, from experience, I can say that it answers thoroughly. 

 With these leads, at least two swivels should be between the 

 lead and the hooks, as all the twist is in that part of the trace. 

 According to the depth or swiftness of the water or stream 

 to be fished, so should the weight of the lead be ; and this is 

 a point to which considerable attention should be paid, as it 

 is sometimes necessary to fish deep, and sometimes to fish 

 shallow. Of the two, I prefer to fish deep, as the less distance 

 a pike has to come after the bait the better, for pike will not 

 always come to the top of the water after the bait even if 

 they see it ; and when they do come, they will see the decep- 

 tion so much more easily that, if they are not tolerably hungry, 

 they will often refuse the bait. This is especially the case 

 with good fish. Many a time have I, when fishing rather high, 

 seen a good ten or a dozen pounder come up with a dash at 

 the bait, and after following it for a yard or two, turn tail 

 and leave it, when, probably, had I been fishing deep, he would 

 just have put his nose out of the weed and snapped my bait. 

 But there is a great advantage in fishing high when the fish 

 are hungry. You cover so much more ground that is to 

 say, the fish can see the bait so much farther off. If the 

 angler will glance at the diagram in Plate VI, page 93, he 

 will see what I mean. A is one spinning-bait fished high, 

 B is another fished low. Now, pike at C and D, and all within 

 that range will easily see A, whereas B will scarcely be seen 

 farther off than E and F. Still, if the fish are running shyly, 

 two trolls or throws in the position of B are preferable to one 

 at A. Of course, if the fish are well on the feed, and are ranging 

 for food, it will matter little whether the angler fishes high or 

 low, as within any reasonable distance his bait will be seen 

 laterally, and probably run at. Whether it be taken or no, 

 however, of course depends on the opinion the fish forms of 

 it on nearer inspection. One point the angler should bear in 

 mind, viz. that (provided the bait turns round fairly, so as 

 to display itself well and hide the hooks) he cannot spin too 

 slowly, and if he over-weights his line, in order to keep it clear 

 of the weeds at the bottom, he will be obliged to spin so 



