82 PIKE FISHING. 



and really scientific spinning, with rightly adapted 

 tools and tackle. 



Spinning with the natural bait claims the pre- 

 cedence ; it is practised as follows : A small fish 

 (dace, roach, etc.), of three or four ounces is taken and 

 placed upon a flight of hooks (the method of arrange- 

 ment varying according to the particular nature of 

 the flight used) ; one of the most simple and best we 

 give upon plate III., fig. 5. There are other flights, con- 

 sisting chiefly of a number of small triangles, the use 

 of which we cannot commend. Accidents are far too 

 rife with substantial hooks to make it worth one's 

 while to risk anything by the insufficiency of one's ap- 

 pointments. The complicated nature of most flights 

 renders it extremely difficult for the novice to bait 

 them properly, so as to enable them to describe the 

 ordinary revolutions. In this tackle, no difficulty of 

 this nature is encountered. The lip-hook is inserted 

 through the upper and lower lips of the bait, so as to 

 close the mouth, the most slender hook of the triangle 

 pierces the side, leaving the larger span of hooks un- 

 encumbered ; lastly, the tail of the bait is made to 

 form a slight curve by inserting the end hook, so as 

 to cause the bait to swim in a wobbling sort of way. 

 At certain times this motion proves very effective in 

 alluring the quarry. The statements bearing upon 

 this point, given in another chapter (trout spinning), 

 apply with equal significance to pike spinning. Pike 

 flights may, however, be used perfectly straight, as by 

 the use of a small F. G. spinner and swivel combined, 

 which can be placed a yard or so above the bait, 



