204 A SPINNING-FLIGHT OF FOURTEEN HOOKS. 



artificial tail now takes the place of the natural 

 one, and the wire through the body keeps the 

 bait-fish firm, straight, and in its natural shape. 

 You now insert the flight of hooks exactly as I 

 told you to do, when using the arrow-headed wire. 

 This bait will swim and spin admirably, not be 

 liable to tear; and if the artificial tail be made 

 with care, it will not glaringly disagree with the 

 natural body of the fish. 



The flight of hooks I recommend as generally 

 the best, is composed (as shown in the cut) of 

 eleven hooks. You can have one of fourteen 

 hooks, if you like, by adding a treble "fly" hook. 

 You will then have three treble hooks to insert in 

 different parts of the body from above the ventral 

 fin to above the pectoral one, and if with a bait 

 bristling with so many barbs you fail to hook the 

 fish that rushes open-mouthed on such a cheval 

 defrise, the fault lies not in your tackle, but either 

 in your own mode of striking, or in the fish's 

 way of seizing the bait. This augmented flight 

 of hooks is not fit for minnow or bleak spinning. 

 It only suits when your baits are very large 

 gudgeons, or average-sized dace and roach. It is 

 suitable when you spin for large fish, be they 

 salmon, trout as large as salmon, or pike as large 

 as either. 



As I have already said, I am not partial to 

 those many-hooked spinning tackle, and I dislike 



