216 THE BEST SPINNING-BAITS. 



the more inclined to rush after the bait. Gene- 

 rally speaking, it is not of vital importance which 

 way you spin your bait so that you do it well. 

 Take care not to spin too fast, by drawing in too 

 rapidly too much line at each draw backwards of 

 the left hand, or at each motion towards you of 

 the rod. Spin steadily, just fast enough to make 

 your bait revolve attractively, but not so fast as 

 to make its speed greater than that of the fish 

 that is pursuing it. Make it no difficult task 

 for him to overtake your bait and seize it with 

 facility. In spinning you must strike as soon as 

 your bait is taken, with a short, quick, moder- 

 ately strong jerk of the wrist. 



The baits you use in spinning should be of the 

 most brilliant colours. The brightest minnows, 

 gudgeons, dace, roach you can procure. Smelts, 

 on account of their silver brilliancy, make capital 

 spinning baits ; moderate-sized thick-set ones are 

 the best. The hooks used in spinning should be 

 of the bright steel-colour of the wire, not changed 

 to the ordinary blue hue of hooks ; and they 

 should be whipped on with light-coloured silk, 

 waxed with white wax. 



The fish you intend for baits, provided you can- 

 not keep them alive, having no bait-kettle or well 

 in your boat to do so, should be killed imme- 

 diately they are caught, and not be allowed to 



