THE BRITISH ANGLER'S LEXICON. 39 



Baiting? Needle is a long thin piece of steel wire 

 with a spear shaped point at one end and a spring loop at 

 the other. It is used for threading or drawing the gut 

 or gimp attached to the hooks through the bait, and is 

 made in several sizes to suit minnow, dace, or gudgeon. 



Bait Kettles are for carrying live fish to be used as 

 bait. They are made usually of zinc, with perforated lids, a 

 handle, and hasp. Some are round, some square, wider at 

 the bottom than at the top. They are also made double, 

 which allows the water to be poured out and renewed with- 

 out taking off the lid. If the water is kept cool and 

 agitated, fish will keep lively in them for a considerable 

 time. In carrying fish by these kett es, say for a long 

 railway journey, and fresh water is difficult to be had, if a 

 portion of the water is lifted out by a glass or cup, and 

 allowed to fall, say from a foot high, back into kettle again, 

 it will be thus aerated, and the fish will not suffer as they 

 otherwise would do failing a fresh supply. 



Balance Of Rod is found by gripping it by the 

 handle in the usual place, and feeling no top-heaviness, nor 

 a want of compensating weight in the top. The balance 

 should always be judged with the reel and line fixed to the 

 rod. A single-handed fly rod should balance on the back of 

 a knife about two feet above the reel ; a double-handed 

 salmon rod about four feet above the reel. A well-balanced 

 rod is a comfort to work with ; it may be heavy, and 

 yet tire the angler less than one many ounces lighter but 

 badly balanced. Some anglers prefer a top-heavy rod ; it 

 is more powerful, but very wearying to cast with. 



Bank Runners are adopted in pike fishing, thus 

 dispensing with the use of the rod. The bait employed 

 may be a small fish or frog, attached by a hook in various 



