174 HOW TO PUT ON THE LIVE BAIT. 



You will perceive by this illustration that two 

 hooks are used ; they are to be strong, but small 

 according to the size of the bait. Each is to be 

 tied to a stout piece of gut three inches long, and 

 looped at the upper end. Their length when looped 

 must be exactly equal, and each of the loops is 

 to be fastened in the hook of your swivel at- 

 tached to your gut foot-line. One of the hooks 

 is to be inserted into the back of the fish just be- 

 fore the dorsal fin; the other hook just behind 

 that fin. The hooks are to point different ways, 

 and if they are properly inserted, and their gut 

 links of equal length, the fish will hang in easy 

 and just balance, and there will be no drag either 

 way to prevent it from swimming freely. A live 

 bait so hooked cannot escape by its own struggles, 

 and neither pike, trout, or perch can snap it off 

 with impunity. 



SNAP-BAITS. These hooks and baits are only 

 used at seasons when pike do not feed with suffi- 

 cient voracity to pouch their baits greedily. 

 They are used to allow the troller to strike 

 quickly, before the fastidious fish, suspecting 

 something wrong, rejects the bait almost as soon 

 as it is taken into the mouth. The rod used 

 must be short and stiff to enable you to strike 

 promptly and firmly, and I know of no rod more 

 suitable than that which is called, the Thames 

 punt barbel rod. Snap-baits are twofold, one 



