110 TROLLING. 



The hooks used for trolling should be of the natural 

 steel colour. 



Before preparing your bait, put on to your t rolling- 

 line a cork float, or, which some prefer, the cork, 

 with the quill and plug taken out, the line being 

 passed through it, and kept in its place by a plug of 

 ivory or whalebone, made like a cribbage-peg, put 

 into the hole at the top of the cork. The float should 

 be of a size to carry about half an ounce of lead below, 

 which will be the thing for a bait fish of five or six 

 inches in length. If the bait is smaller, and the line is 

 of twisted gut instead of gimp, a smaller float must be 

 used. Next, fasten your line to the traces, which carry 

 the swivel, with a bow-draw knot. Or, if you fish without 

 traces, first put the float on the line, next a dip-lead, 

 or as many swan-shot as the float requires, and then 

 attach it to your gimp or gut-line. Observe, that your 

 float must stand upright, and as a general rule, its distance 

 will be about three feet, or something less, from the 

 hook. In shoal water, or where the weeds are thick, 

 two feet will be better. 



Having got your tackle all ready, cast it in very 

 gently, after the manner prescribed for trolling. Take 

 care that your bait does not entangle you with the 

 weeds, but keep him moving about in as lively a manner 

 as possible. Keep your eye on the float, and your winch 

 and line free, always having a yard or two of slack line 

 in your left hand, and as soon as the pike has seized 

 your bait, and is running off to pouch it, just treat him 

 as directed when trolling, and manage him in like 

 manner, after you find that he has pouched your bait. 



SNAP-FISHING. This mode of baiting for pike is re- 

 sorted to at those times when they are shy at gorg- 

 ing a bait, although they will snap at it, which is 



