234 THE BRITISH ANGLER'S LEXICON. 



weeds. It is well to keep a tight line upon them after they 

 are struck, and work them into a clear place in the water. 



Tobacco. Nine anglers out of ten are addicted to the 

 use of the "soothing weed," and it is astonishing how 

 much tobacco can be made away with during a day's 

 fishing, especially from a boat. There are hundreds of 

 sorts, blends, and mixtures to be obtained, each man 

 having his own particular favourite brand. For thdse who 

 have not yet settled this momentous question, a good 

 mixture is here noted : Two ounces of golden flake honey- 

 dew, one ounce of best brown cavendish, and half an ounce 

 of Latakia, well mixed together. This gives a cool and 

 pleasant-flavoured smoke, and a pipeful of it will last as 

 long as any other mixture. The above quantity can be 

 very well carried in an indiarubber pouch, and it keeps 

 better in this than w r hen put into jars, cases, or boxes. 



Trimmers are used in angling for pike in ponds, 

 lakes, or reservoirs, and are made in several forms, the 

 principal ones being round and wedge-shaped. The round 

 sorts are made of cork or light wood, about seven or eight 

 inches in diameter, with a groove in the edge, capable of 

 holding about a dozen yards of strong pike line. A peg 

 is placed in the centre, with the end split, and a double 

 pike hook fastened to wire or gimp is attached to the line. 

 The hook is caught in the side of the live bait, which may 

 be gudgeon or dace, and the shank and a portion of the 

 gimp is inserted by the baiting needle just under the skin ; 

 a swivel is fastened to the gimp, and another about two 

 feet off. If carefully done the bait will live for some hours. 

 One end of the line is tied to the trimmer, and the distance 

 at which the bait is to swim is arranged by inserting the 

 main line into the split peg, so that when the pike seizes 



