THE NOTTINGHAM METHOD. 115 



hooks in the state I have mentioned, though apparently 

 stout and well looking, snap at the slightest stroke, and 

 many a good fish have I thus lost from neglecting this 

 necessary precaution. 



The simplest tackle in the way of triangles I have met 

 with is that used by the Nottingham spinners. It is com- 

 posed of only two triangles and a lip-hook. The lip- 

 hook is a fixed one. The loop of the gimp is passed up 

 through the gill of the fish and out of the mouth, the lip- 

 hook being carefully mano3iivred through also ; this is then 

 turned and hooked through the lips in the usual way. 

 The first triangle goes into the shoulder, and the last is 

 brought up and hooked in over the tail part of the back, 

 just behind the dorsal fin, the bait being drawn up so 

 as to communicate a bend or crook to the body, and the 

 bend is thus given to the middle of the bait instead of 

 the tail (see Plate V. fig. 7, p. 112). The flight is then 

 looped on to the trace, and is ready for use. It is a 

 simple and effective method ; and a bait thus put on, if 

 it be properly hung, spins very well, and shows enough 

 arming sufficiently disposed over the main parts of the 

 body to hook any fish that runs and takes it fairly. Not- 

 tingham fishers more often use a roach for baiting in this 

 way than any other fish, and certainly a roach thus baited 

 spins with even less difficulty than it does when baited on 

 a Thames tackle with the tail crooked, as is the custom 

 there. 



Fig 3, Plate IV. p, 104 gives another form of tackle 

 brought out by Mr. Pennell. The upper triangle depend- 

 ing from the lip-hook Mr. Pennell borrowed from me, 

 though he did not acknowledge the obligation. The 

 lower part of the tackle, with flying triangle and double- 

 reversed hook is, I believe, strictly his own. The difficulty 

 which I see in the tackle is the long stretch between the 

 reversed hook and the lip-hook, with no hook to keep the 



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