OX PROVIDING AND CARRYING BAITS. U9 



spinners are without the fans, and the spin is given to the 

 bait by simply bending the tail, brass and all, the brass 

 keeping the tail properly crooked. Some, again, have the 

 fan at the tail, the tail being cut off, the spear thrust in at 

 the tail and out at the mouth, an artificial tail being thus 

 .given to the bait. Most of these aids to spinning are 

 leaded so that the weight is concealed in the body of the 

 bait ; but although it may be desirable to hide the lead 

 and to show as little tackle as possible to alarm the fish, I 

 have always found that the thrusting of a lead into the 

 fish has a tendency to knock the bait to pieces, and the 

 belly and thorax are liable to cut out. In these aids to 

 spinning many of them require the baits to be fitted witli 

 some exactness to the apparatus. 



With respect to baits pike are tolerably indifferent, 

 and bleak, dace, gudgeon, or the young of barbel or chub, 

 may be used for spinning-baits indiscriminately, and even 

 a roach can, as I have pointed out, be made to spin well. 

 Bleak and dace of course are the most showy, and being 

 for that reason more quickly seen, are therefore perhaps 

 more attractive. But whatever be the baits, the angler 

 should always take a good supply of them, as so many get 

 <;ut, torn, and spoilt, that a couple of dozen will not be too 

 many, and sometimes not enough, for each rod in a mode- 

 rate day's sport. If the angler is not certain about pro- 

 curing bait on the water he is going to fish, he should 

 never trust to chance ; always make sure in this respect, 

 and thus many an hour often vexatiously lost will be saved, 

 and many an indifferent day turned into a good one. Never 

 mind what your companion may say about being able to 

 catch bait, or the probability that Jack, Bob, or Tom may 

 be able to spare you some. Catching bait is always a very 

 doubtful occupation, and although if you did not want 

 them you might be able to pull out dace and gudgeon by 

 the score, yet when you do want them particularly, they 



