104 THE SPINNING-LEAD. 



running line. They are not the easiest swivels to manipu- 

 late, but they are the safest. The trace should not be 

 less than from a yard to four feet long, and not more 

 than five, or it will be found awkward in casting. Be- 

 tween the swivels the lead or sinker is to be fastened. 

 In ponds, where the weeds come very near the surface, 

 a sinker may be dispensed with, and the bait be allowed 

 to run almost along the surface of the water. In this in- 

 stance the simpler the arrangement of hooks, and the 

 fewer there are of them, the better. 



The sinker formerly most usually adopted is the long, 

 round, perforated lead, which is shown in Plate IV. fig. 6, 

 and through which the gimp is run. Some anglers use 

 large shot ; these are sometimes squeezed or bitten on to 

 the line, and the gimp or gut thus so forcibly compressed 

 cannot but be damaged and weakened. Others use a set 

 of perforated shot with loops at each end, which is linked 

 on in the middle of the trace between two swivels ; but 

 perforated shot nut the gimp in time. While some bite 

 a number of shot on to a loose piece of gimp or gut, and 

 then lash the set of shot on to the trace. But all these 

 plans have this objection the lead turns with the line ; 

 the twist, in spite of any number of swivels, is communi- 

 cated to the running line, and thus, when the twist gets 

 into it, it snarls, and kinks, and tangles, so that it will not 

 run through the rings, which is very trying to the temper. 

 To prevent this the plan used in sea-fishing by the Cornish 

 fishermen of fastening a lead under, or on one side of the 

 line, was adopted, and a lead fashioned in a crescent, as 

 shown in fig. 7, Plate IV. is frequently used. 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,(jpom experience, I can say that it answers 

 thoroughly. The lead is 'shown threaded on the gimp in 

 the cut, but this is a troublesome plan, if you want to 



