THE DARTMOUTH RIG. 



39 



the lead should be lifted just off the bottom ; if moderate, a 

 little higher ; if slack, the height of the whole length of the trace. 



For Whiting or Had- 

 dock-fishing in the offing 

 9 ft. will be found a very 

 useful length for the trace ; 

 but near the shore 5 ft. 

 is sufficient from the lead 

 to the lowest hook. Place 

 a brass swivel in the trace, 

 as shown in the woodcut, 

 and loop on the snood and 

 hooks over the knot. The 

 sid-strap or upper portion of 

 the trace may be of thirty- 

 six hairs for fishing along- 

 shore, but for the offing 

 forty-eight. Many Devon 

 and Cornish fishermen use 

 a plaited sid-strap of twine, 

 which is less liable to kink 

 than three-stranded fishing 

 line. I have myself been 

 trying some two-stranded 

 sid-straps of double snood- 

 ing, and find them answer 

 well, although nothing is 

 superior to white horsehair, 

 often very difficult to ob- 

 tain. This arrangement of 

 snoods and sid-straps is 

 alike common to the Dart- 

 mouth dip as well as the 

 creeper or grapnel sinker, 

 the Newfoundland or Bank- 

 ers, and boat-shaped leads, FlG - 4-~ The Dartmouth Rig. 

 about to be described. In the illustration three hooks only 

 are represented, which will generally be found sufficient for 



