80 ANGLING. 



The trace for live baiting should be either of gimp or 

 treble gut, and should have a swivel at each end of the 

 tackle. The lower one, to which the hook link is 

 appended, should be a hook swivel, so that the loop may 

 easily be taken off or put on. On the running or reel line, 

 about a yard or so above the float should be fastened a bit 

 of cork to prevent the line from sinking and entangling 

 with the tackle or bait. The float should be set so that 

 the bait may be a foot or two from the bottom. Of course 

 the presence or absence of weeds will in some measure 

 regulate this matter. In live baiting it is very desirable 

 that your bait should be lively and work well ; when it 

 gets dull and dead in its motions take it off and put on 

 another. If it be a dace or gudgeon kill it, and lay it 

 aside for spinning, for which it will do as well as the best. 



When fish cannot be got for bait, frogs and other things 

 are sometimes used. To bait a frog you want a largeish 

 long-shanked hook, and, putting the hook through the 

 under lip, draw it down till the bend reaches the hind leg, 

 when tie the bend on to the frog's thigh with a bit of silk. 



Artificial frogs, mice, rats, &c., are sometimes used in 

 default of better baits. The head and tail of an eel, too, 

 is used in some places for a rough method of spinning, 

 but no one would use these means who could procure fish ; 

 even the artificial fly is sometimes employed for pike, 

 though perhaps an artificial bird would be the proper 

 name a huge two hooked thing, with the eyes of a pair 

 of peacock feathers for wings, and a big fur body well 

 tinselled, is the proper lure ; and when the fish will take 

 it fairly it is by no means an unpleasant method of fishing. 

 Oast it and work it like a salmon fly, of which more 

 anon. 



