THE PIKE. 105 



The bound ends are then worked round till they are inside the 

 hole of the lead, and the two pieces of gimp are next bound 

 together to each end of the lead. A loop of the gimp is now 

 at one end, and one of the spring loops and swivels at the 

 other. The gimp loop of this contrivance is then hooked 

 on the spring loop at the bottom of the trace, and this forms 

 a first-rate lead. The desirability of having these leads is 

 because they hang as it were below the line, and keep it from 

 twisting and kinking, which it must do if the lead is only a 

 straight one merely threaded on the gimp. A better lead 

 than this has been brought out by the Proprietor of the 

 Fishing Gazette^ and is a decided improvement on the old 

 system. 



At the bottom of the lead there is another foot of gimp 

 or so, with a loop on one end and another of the spring loops 

 and swivels on the other, and at the end of this last there is 

 another foot of gimp with a small loop at one end, and the 

 flight of hooks at the other. Some tyros may want to know 

 why this trace, &c., cannot all be in one piece, without hav- 

 ing so many pieces and so many swivels in it % The reply 

 is that the bait must revolve or spin in the water, and if there 

 were no swivels on the trace it would not do that very well, 

 to say nothing of twisting and kinking the line. I like plenty 

 of swivels on my trace and the spring loops and swivels may 

 be bought at any tackle shop, being very cheap. These 

 spring loops and swivels are also fastened together and are 

 very useful things, as they enable the angler to disengage any 

 part of his trace from the others in a moment. Some anglers 

 only have their traces divided into two parts, with one 

 swivel, but I like it divided into three or four with as many 

 swivels, because if one swivel gets fast during the process 

 of spinning, there is another to keep twisting. This, then, 

 is the spinner's trace : and now for the flight of hooks. There 

 are various flights in use, but the one that is known as the 



