SPINNING FLIGHTS AND THEIR USES 61 



evenly and in a straight line ; my own experience is not in 

 favour of this. A pike, although a greedy fish, does not like 

 too much trouble in capturing his prey. A small fish in 

 difficulties, or one wounded, is far more likely to be the 

 victim than one full of power and virility. I found that a 

 spinning bait travelling in all sorts of curious curves and 

 twists was the most effective. Mr. Pike has got sense 

 enough to know that a disabled fish is a much easier prey 

 than one that can spring into safety like a flash. 



One of the commonest and simplest flights in use is 

 known as the Thames flight; this flight has three trebles 

 whipped fast to sixteen inches of oo copper gimp, each 

 treble being about three-quarters of an inch apart, and 

 above them is a single movable lip hook ; the whole length 

 between lip hook and the end treble varies from three to 

 five inches, according to size of bait and hooks employed. 

 Nos. 3 and 4 are useful hook sizes. In baiting this flight, 

 move the sliding lip hook to suit the length of the particular 

 fish chosen, and firmly fix that hook well through both 

 lips ; the three trebles are then stuck down the side, one 

 after the other, the tail-end one being driven through the 

 root of the tail until the bait bends very slightly down- 

 wards and sideways. 



My own flight is represented by the illustration on 

 page 55 two trebles, whipped nearly together on sixteen 

 inches of oo copper gimp ; this gimp is threaded through the 

 bait from vent to mouth, the end treble of all being used 

 to bend the tail slightly sideways and downwards, then 

 the loose looped treble is dropped over the gimp and stuck 

 in the side, and finally the narrow zinc strip is passed com- 

 pletely down and through the bait from the mouth to the 

 fork of the tail, and the narrow end bent back to grip the 

 root if the tail. It is necessary that this zinc strip should 

 be a little longer than the bait used. This is my favourite 

 flight, and it will stand any amount of hard work, and I 

 found it effective on every river, stream, or lake I spun 

 over; and when a pike was once hooked on it. it very 



