FEBRUARY FILL-DYKE 39 



yards of line. It takes ages and much patience 

 to set matters right, and meanwhile the wag- 

 tail bait, bristling with triangle hooks, sinks 

 to the bottom and catches in a snag or a weed- 

 root before you can reel in. Probably the 

 trouble is in the word " casting," because 

 what you really do if you can is to swing the 

 bait smoothly out, with only just enough force 

 to send it where you want to, slip your finger 

 off the trigger the instant, or just before, it 

 touches the water, and then reel in slowly 

 at once to take up any slack line and let the 

 current spin the bait. It would all be easier 

 if I used a lead, I suppose, but the river is 

 not very deep, and as a pike's eyes are on the 

 top of his head, I have a notion that he sees 

 things better if they are well above him in 

 the water. But I do like good big, bright metal 

 spinners to keep the bait spinning well and 

 showing good flashes as it spins. I find the 

 wagtail (which is just two flat strips of rubber) 

 painted reddy-brown and gold outside better 

 than the pattern painted blue-and-silver. 

 Both are painted red inside the strips. 



Well, here we are at the river, and it certainly 

 is good to see running water again and to have 

 a rod in one's hand at last, even if not a fly- 

 rod. I only wish that I had a telescopic gaff, 



