106 THE RATIONALE OF SPINNING. 



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 he cannot 

 (provided the bait turns round fairly, so as to display 

 itself well and hide the hooks) 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 

 quickly, or to draw the bait along so rapidly, that he will 

 not give the pike a fair chance of biting. Too swift 

 spinning is a great fault, and it is, indeed, too common a 

 fault in these fast days. The angler likes to be always 

 throwing. * Swish ! ' out goes thirty or forty yards of 

 line. 'There's a throw, Smith, my boy!' He likes to 

 see his bait spin like a humming top. ' Look at that, 

 Smith, my boy ! can you make a bait spin like that ? ' 

 Possibly Smith cannot make a bait spin in that wonderful 

 way, and cannot throw above twenty or thirty yards of 

 line ; but somehow Smith, with a short line, runs more 

 fish than our fast friend. It has been the popular myth 

 that a bait travelling at railway pace, and spinning like 

 one long line of silver, is the correct thing, because it 

 imitates a fish in an agony of terror. This argument is 

 sheer nonsense, as fish do not conduct themselves like 

 dancing dervishes or ballet-masters, and perform pirou- 

 ettes when in a fright. They run away and turn per- 

 haps, from side to side, as the swimmer does, to gain in- 

 creased power by concentrating every effort now to one 

 point and then, as a relief, to the other. The long, slow 

 wobble of a badly-spinning bait is much more like the 

 reed; thing, no doubt, but it is necessary to make the bait 

 turn somewhat rapidly in order that the pike may not 

 have too much uninterrupted inspection of the eight or 

 ten hooks that encumber one side of the lure, and in order 

 to present the silver side, constantly changing and flashing 

 in the light, to attract the attention of the fish, which a 



