122 BOTTOM FISHING IN THE NOTTINGHAM S'lYLE. 



for pike, I may be allowed to again refer to Mr. Gregory's 

 " Archimedean Spinner " in detail. Its merits are so obvious 

 that it were a pity to omit description. It consists, as I 

 have said, of a long brass hook and lead to thrust down the 

 belly of the bait, three triangles, a single hook to stick in 

 the head of the bait, and the " Archimedean fins " at the 

 head to cause the spin. To put on a bait properly, thrust 

 the brass hook with the lead, in the mouth of the bait, and 

 down the belly, with the point towards the belly, taking 

 particular care that the head of the bait is brought as 

 closely up between the Archimedean fins as possible ; when 

 you have done this, the bait will be perfectly straight ; next 

 bring over the hook at the top, and send it well into the 

 head of the bait, and adjust the treble hooks to suit the 

 size of the bait you are using. This can be done by draw- 

 ing the gimp through the tubes, but take care the hooks are 

 not twisted before putting on the bait, or the gimp will not 

 draw properly through. A six-inch .dace is as good a bait 

 as you can use with this tackle. Do not bend the tail at 

 all, let it be perfectly straight, and the fins of the tackle will 

 cause the bait to have a brilliant spin. Mr. Gregory tells 

 ine that with this very tackle, in the season 1880-81, he 

 killed fifty-eight fish. I might just mention that these 

 tackles are made in five sizes, two for pike and three for 

 salmon and trout. I must now just caution the angler to 

 examine and test his hooks, and the spring loops and 

 swivels, before he makes his tackle, or if he buys his tackle 

 ready-made before he uses them, for I have lost a good 

 fish or two by the spring loop snapping at the bend, and 

 the hooks of the flight either breaking, or pulling straight. 



If the angler wishes to fish in a backwater, or any other 

 place that is choked up with weeds (and he cannot very 

 well use the spinning bait there), he fishes with what is 

 called the gorge bait. The gorge hook is a double hook 

 securely fastened to some stout twisted brass wire, about 

 six inches in length. Around the shank a piece of conico- 

 cylindrical shaped lead is cast, and to bait this it is necessary 

 to have a flat baiting-needle, about seven inches long. Put 

 the loop of the tackle in the eye of the needle, and push the 



