THE PIKE. 115 



gimp, which in turn are whipped firmly to the gimp of the 

 flight. If dace are used as bait, two flying triangles are 

 deemed best, but if gudgeon or bleak are used one is better. 

 To bait this flight, it is best done in the manner described by 

 Mr. Pennell himself ; the bottom or tail hook being inserted 

 first : " The point is inserted by the side or lateral line of 

 the bait near to the tail, and passing it under a broadish strip 

 of the skin, and through the end of the fleshy part of the 

 tail, bring it out as near the base of the tail as practicable 

 Next insert the small reversed hook (the top hook of the S) 

 in such a position as to curve the bait's tail to nearly a right 

 angle ; finally pass the lip hook through both its lips, always 

 putting it through the upper lip first when the bait is a gud- 

 geon, and through the lower one first with all others. This 

 is very important in securing a very brilliant spin." The 

 flying triangles of course hang free. This is a splendid flight, 

 but I fancied when I first made and used one, that it might 

 be improved on a trifle. The bait spun well, but there was 

 such a long distance between the bottom hook and the lip 

 hook, and nothing to hold the gimp to the side of the bait, 

 which would often buckle in the middle, and cause the gimp 

 to stand away from the bait in an awkward manner. I there- 

 fore had a smallish hook, and whipped it on the gimp the 

 reverse way to the lip hook, somewhere between the two 

 triangles, and then stuck it well in the side of the bait. I 

 found that it acted well. Another kind of flight and one 

 that is more used on the Trent than any other, is made 

 with two or three fixed triangles and the sliding lip hook. 

 These triangles are all whipped tight to the gimp, and 

 just above the bottom one there is a single hook whipped 

 on the reverse way. To bait this flight, take the bait 

 and put one of the hooks of the bottom triangle into the 

 flesh of the tail, bringing the point out on the same side ; 

 draw up the tail so as to bend it well, and then put the 

 reversed hook in to keep it bent, next insert one of the 

 hooks of the second triangle in the side, and then one of 

 the third triangle in the side near to the shoulder ; and 

 lastly put or slide the lip hook down to the mouth of the 

 bait and put it through both lips. The three triangles should 



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