ARTIFICIAL BAITS 71 



a hopeless task to recommend any particular artificial in 

 preference to any other. It is no use pinning your faith 

 to any special kind. 



Spinning with an artificial is a branch of sport that is 

 clean and interesting, and I know it is productive of sport 

 in certain conditions of water and wind. What I would 

 strongly impress on my readers is this : use two or three 

 artificials, and let them be as diverse as possible in ap- 

 pearance and design ; the colour and shape should be 

 different in each one, so that if a pike came and refused 

 a certain pattern, he might take another one of a different 

 shape. 



This has been my experience more than once. Putting 

 it broadly then, I should say have in your tin box three or 

 four different patterns ; I don't care what name they are 

 known by, nor what reputation they have gained, so long 

 as shape and colour are opposed, and the chances are that 

 some time during the day one or other will arouse the 

 curiosity of a pike, and that he will forget his usual caution 

 and fall a victim, although the water may be as clear as gin 

 and everything unfavourable for sport. 



You can never tell your luck ; keep pegging away, chop- 

 ping and changing about ; use every artificial you have in 

 your box ; now and again spinning quickly, then again 

 slowly, sometimes deep down in the water, sometimes 

 nearer the surface. It is only by perseverance that a jack 

 will repose in the bag at night, that is, mind, when con- 

 ditions are unfavourable. Remember the words of a well- 

 known angler : " You cannot expect to catch many fish 

 if your rod is all the time reared up against a tree." This 

 advice is on a par with that of the Scotchman who said to 

 a young pupil : " The man who has his bait in the water 

 stands a better chance than he who has it out." 



In rivers like the Trent, that are subject after heavy 

 rains to sudden and thick floods, that come tearing down 

 with terrific force, it is very little use trying an artificial 

 of any kind while the water is in that state ; wait a little 



