486 PRACTICAL LESSONS IN THE GENTLE CRAFT. 



a good, lasting bait, and in an emergency, the gold-fish bowl 

 may be emptied this, however, only on high days and 

 holidays, for it will be found an expensive luxury. Nothing 

 can be more certain than that a lively, hard-working bait is 

 immeasurably superior in its killing powers, in opposition 

 to a spent or weary bait, so that the angler should always 

 endeavour to have his lure in the very best possible con- 

 dition. It is equally certain however that there are times 

 when pike are so lavenously "on/' that I am almost inclined 

 to believe in a chance of a run if one used an old boot for 

 a bait. Given a run, there is not the least necessity to 

 wait " ten minutes ; " pay out the line freely, and when he 

 stops he'll pouch it in three or four, or not at all. If after 

 stopping he moves on again, strike him at once. A great 

 disadvantage in the method of live-baiting with side-hook 

 is the certain tearing of the skin, and consequent disfigura- 

 tion of the bait, as well as the chance of killing small fish. 

 All this is obviated by the use of snap-tackle, which simply 

 consists of two triangles bound upon the gimp hook-link 

 and about two inches apart. One of these triangles is 

 placed carefully through the root of the dorsal fin, while 

 the other is fixed at the root of the pectoral. Another 

 advantage gained arises from the fact that here there is no 

 waiting for the fish to run to his nook, and then gorge the 

 bait. The instant the float disappears one can make ready to 

 strike, and when the line becomes taut and the angler feels his 

 fish he can do so with the certainty, in nine cases out often, of 

 securing the aggressor. Pike, as is well known, take their prey 

 sideways ; thus it is clear that if a fish seizes the bait attached 

 to snap-tackle, the triangle must be within his jaws, and the 

 probability is that he is safe, due skill being observed on the 

 angler's part when he is hooked. There is not the least 

 necessity to strike heavily, a smart handstroke is amply 



