SPINNING TACKLE 211 



It must be also more slender, and with more play, as both 

 bait and sinkers are of smaller size and lighter weight, and 

 therefore require rather more spring to cast them easily. 

 No better rod for minnow spinning can be made than the three- 

 jointed bamboo rod, which I have described as a double hand 

 fly rod, the top being made suitable to the requirements, and it 

 does equally well as I have stated for worm-fishing. Some 

 anglers, however, might fancy it over long, and they can 

 shorten it if they please. A good many friends of mine took a 

 strong fancy to it, and had patterns of it made. 



But to go back to our tackle. The line should be of the 

 finest dressed eight-plait, or even fine dressed Derby twist 

 will answer, so that it may run as freely as possible. The 

 spinning trace should be of fine gut below the lead, and of 

 moderately fine above it ; that is, if the angler uses a lead, 

 as I advise him to, in order to avoid the twisting and kinking 

 of his line, which will surely happen, to his annoyance, if he uses 

 the common plan of biting three or four large shot on his trace. 

 Indeed, save that the lead should be about half the weight, I 

 recommend the same plan and pattern as that recommended 

 for the Thames a small " Field " lead, will prevent all kinking, 

 and answers the purpose well. The bait should be about 

 two and a half feet below the lead ; as much gut as the angler 

 chooses may be used above it. Two swivels should be used 

 below the lead, and one to fasten the trace to the running 

 line. 



For the form of hooks to be employed, I recommend the 

 set shown in the adjoining Plate IX, Fig. 5 ; the mode 

 in which it is baited is shown at Fig. 6. This is something 

 upon Colonel Hawker's principle, whose tackle, Mr. Pennell 

 reminds us, was invented by Salter. I again record the fact, 

 not that I think there is much to be proud of, as it is a very 

 clumsy affair. The tackle I have given occurred to me from 

 finding that the tackle shown in Plate IX, Fig. 4 (which is 

 commonly used in the north), though simple enough, missed 

 a great many runs. No doubt a great many anglers, having 

 experienced the same thing before, may have used the same 

 method to remedy this that I did. I never saw it previously, 

 however, though I have since. This tackle gets rid of the 

 double strand of gut in Hawker's and Salter's tackle, which 

 I look on as exceedingly objectionable";} indeed I would 

 almost as soon have gimp tackle at once. It also disposes of 

 the leaden cap, which is the worst substitute for sinkers and 



