THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 105 



spinning the minnow for moderately sized fish, and the gudgeon, dace, 

 and even a small trout for large trout. A very large fish of that species, 

 such as the great grey lake trout, will take a common trout, weighing 

 half or three-quarters of a pound. A Thames trout, of the weight 

 of twelve pounds, will take as a bait the largest gudgeon, or even a 

 dace, four inches in length. It is a general rule, that large baits are 

 the best for large fish ; they will not trouble themselves about small 

 ones. The best minnow-flight consists of eleven hooks [see cut at end of 

 these remarks] : one lip hook, two treble hooks, a single hook to curb the 

 fish bait, a little below the vent, a treble hook to pass " fly" or free be- 

 yond the tail. In the London fishing-tackle shops every sort of spinning 

 tackle is sold, but I conscientiously believe the above "flight" is the best. 

 It must be firmly tied on gut for small fish, on gimp for large ones. 

 There must be a swivel close to the lip-hook, and another on the gut, or 

 gimp-trace, two feet higher up. The trace should be shotted at about 

 twelve inches from the lip-hook. The spinning rod need never to be 

 more than twelve feet in length, and it should be rather stiff than pliant. 

 Its rings should be large and stand upright. It should be made of the 

 following woods, and be of four joints, butt, ash, or willow, second joint 

 hickory, small piece ditto, and top lance wood and bamboo-cane. The 

 line should be stout, and of platted silk, and it should be oiled or var- 

 nished. The winch should be large, and of free action. The tyro must 

 cast the spinning-bait and work it through the water thus : uncoil from 

 the winch as much line as is wanted, allowing the coils to rest at your 

 feet. Let the bait hang not more than a yard from the top of the rod, 

 then, poising and bringing back the rod either to the left or right, propel 

 the bait somewhat upwards and forwards; and its weight, and the 

 momentum given to it, will carry out all the coiled line. As soon as the 

 bait falls in the water, commence drawing it towards you by short pulls 

 of the line either with the right or left hand, making the bait spin 

 straightly towards you with moderate speed. When the bait is drawn 

 in close to the fisher, he must lift it out of the water, and repeat the 

 cast. When there is what is called a " run," the angler must strike 

 sharply, and play the hooked fish boldly. Repeat casting until the 

 stream or pool is fished all over, and then move to another spot. All 

 hooks used in spinning should be made of bright wire. There is a 

 spinning flight called Colonel Hawker's, sold in all the shops, which I 

 consider very good ; but it is not very easy to bait with it. Artificial 

 minnows are to be bought, ready mounted, and they must be used just 

 in the way I have described. Spinning answers best in water that has 

 been recently discoloured by rain, and is useless in clear shallow water. 

 The Thames punt-men are the best masters and teachers of the art of 

 spinning in the world. ED.] 



FLIGHT OF HOOKS. 



