78 ANGLING. 



coming up to the top, a small pistol bullet generally 

 suffices for this purpose, or an ordinary spinning lead, 

 equal to the work, is better still, as less liable to catch in 

 weeds ; this being threaded on the tackle about a foot 

 above the bait, is either plugged or compressed at the 

 ends, so as to secure it on the line, and keep it in its place. 

 If painted green it is less remarkable in clear water. The 

 tackle used is either that known as live snap tackle or live 

 gorge tackle. The first is arranged so that the hooks may 

 hang beside and about the middle of the belly of the bait, 

 so that when the pike seizes the bait which he usually 

 does crosswise the head and tail of the bait lying to 

 either side of his jaws, the belly and the attendant hooks 

 are inside his mouth, and you can then strike at once as 

 soon as your float goes well down without further delay, 

 and about seven times in ten you will hook your fish. 

 In the other three it will mostly happen that the hooks 

 are outside his mouth, or that in seizing them he has so 

 disarranged them that they do not take a fair hold. 



There are various snap tackles. The best of them is 

 Mr. Jardine's, already described. The best single triangle 

 snap tackle is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, Plate 3, the tackle 

 is shown unbaked and baited. In this one the single hook 

 is fixed, but some persons prefer a single hook that slides 

 on a single eye like the lip hook in spinning tackle. The 

 distance, then, being judged, two or three turns of the 

 gimp are made round the shank to fix it. The hook is put 

 through the lips of the bait, and the triangle is hitched up 

 with a slight hold behind the dorsal fin. This method is 

 thought to keep the bait alive longer. Those who prefer 

 it can adopt it ; but if the fish will take the snap tackle at 

 all I find the other quite effective enough. All that you 

 want to bear in mind is not to use any more roughness, nor 



