no MR. FRANCIS'S FLIGUT. 



gimp tight to the fish. I cannot see how the fish can be 

 kept scraight in its place with the gimp loose, and if it 

 cannot be kept straight how can good spinning be ensured ? 

 I have never tried it, and therefore cannot of course 

 speak as to the spinning ; but I have always found, in all 

 other flights, that where there is a long stretch of loose 

 gimp between the hooks, the bait is constantly buckling 

 more or less. I very much prefer my own tackle, shown 

 in rig 4. For a small bait, such as one uses for large 

 trout or moderate pike, on the Thames, I prefer a tail- 

 hook like that which Mr. Pennell uses, and which I 

 have shown in my tackle ; but for a larger bait I like 

 a triangle and a reverse hook for the tail, such as is 

 employed in fig. 1. The big hook dees not do so well 

 in a big bait as the triangle and reverse hook, and with 

 a large biit it is just possible for the single hook to 

 miss taking hold. For small baits the tackle in fig. 4 is 

 perfect; it can be seen baited in fig. 2, Plate IV. p. 104. 

 The beauty of this tackle is first that there is no great 

 show of hooks about the bait to frighten the fish, while 

 there is quite enough to hook him if he runs fairly ; for 

 the flying triangle hanging loose and standing out from 

 the fish must take hold if the fish mouths it, while 

 triangles which are hooked into the bait are so close to 

 the side as often to miss catching; added to this the 

 reverse hook at the shoulder holds the bait so tight that 

 the hooks cannot give. The bait is hooked firmly 

 between two opposing hooks, and if the bait once spins 

 it is almost impossible for it to get out of spinning, 

 which ordinary three-triangle tackles constantly do, and 

 that often at the most critical moment. With a bait so 

 arranged on my tackle I have frequently fished for hours 

 without its getting out of spinning ; and that when baits 

 are scarce, as they often are in the Thames trout season, is 

 no slight advantage. The lip-hook held by only one loop 



