131 



excellent pattern, figured in the engraving, will be found more 

 fully described under the head of " Pike Spinning Tackle." It 

 often happens, however, in shallow lake trout fishing that no lead 

 whatever, for the purpose, that is, of weighting the trace, is de- 

 sirable; and in this case, in trailing the minnow behind a 

 boat, the line is very apt to kink, no matter how many or how 

 perfect the swivels. So situated I have found the plan illus- 

 trated below effective and convenient. It consists of a piece ot 



LEAD-WIRE * SWIVEL COMPELLER.' 



lead-wire twisted round the trace just above the uppermost 

 swivel, with the end bent down in the form shown. This 

 without practically adding to the weight of the trace offers 

 sufficient resistance to its twisting tendency to compel the swivels 

 to perform their proper function. For temporarily adding weight 

 it is also a good plan to twist stout lead wire round the trace, 

 above the swivels, in the manner described under the head of 

 Pike Tackle. 



In traces for lake spinning there should always be at least 

 4 feet of fine clear picked gut between the lead and the bait. I 

 have not infrequently used a 3 yard fly-cast for the purpose, cutting 

 the trace and tying in the swivel, &c., near about the middle. 

 Good sport may often be obtained amongst the lake trout on ' an 

 impossibly calm ' day by thus trailing a brass minnow simply 

 substituting the minnow for the fly. The plan stood me in good 

 stead this year, I remember, when fishing Loch Urigill, Sutherland 

 A dead calm set in, and being unprovided with ordinary trolling 

 tackle (even had such been applicable to that lake, which it was 

 not) we might have sat on the shore and smoked away the midges 

 at considerable leisure if we had not adopted the plan described. 



