26 SPRING ANGLING 



the fire, pinning the suckers, split and cleaned, on 

 them, with a piece of fat pork to each ; and pres- 

 ently they were but a little less toothsome than a 

 trout cooked in the same way. 



I have found the needle a good substitute for a 

 hook for. eels, their throats being much narrower 

 than other fish ; and with a pair of pincers (pliers) 

 one can take out the needle far easier than the 

 hook from the gullet of these snaky fish. 



A sinker and a float, or bob, are desirable for 

 sucker fishing, though not exactly indispensable. 

 The sinker may be of any shape convenient. The 

 most usual is the oblong lead, with an open split 

 ring at each end (Fig. 1 6) ; but the most convenient 



Fig. 16. Oblong Sinker. 



for all styles of fishing where the sinker is needed, 

 is the Tufts " Mackinac " (Fig. 1 7). As can be seen, 



Fig. 17. 

 'Mackinac Sinker.' 



it is a shot of different sizes, cut in half, and ar- 

 ranged so that each half screws to the other half. 



