THE PIKE loi 



act and turn the fish rapidly. A little practice will 

 enable the tyro to fix the bait on his " flight " without 

 much difficulty. Between the flight and the trace a 

 "sinker" must be fixed, and the form of this sinker 

 is a matter of importance. It should be in form like 

 the round cylindrical tube shown in the engraving. 



There is not much difficulty in making these flights, 

 of which several are shown in the accompanying plates. 

 The peurre flight is chiefly remarkable from the lower 

 hooks being formed like the letter S. This is supposed 

 to give a twist to the bait, so that the water acts upon 

 it like an Archimedean screw. The number of triangles 

 affixed to this flight varies with the size of the bait, 

 and in this its great merit in our opinion consists. The 

 gimp is carried round the lip-hook so as to give it greater 

 firmness ; the hook is made with two brazed loops for 

 that purpose, so that it may be moved up and down the 

 trace, to suit the size of the fish. The gimp is generally 

 coloured or clouded, and the whippings of the triangles 

 dressed with red sealing-wax dissolved in spirits of wine, 

 which preserves the whipping and smartens the tackle 

 at the same time. A diagram of the mode of fastening 

 whippings, both on rods and hooks, is given with the 

 fly illustration. The last three turns are carried round 

 the forefinger, and the loose end is returned through 

 them ere the whole is drawn taut. The cast is made 

 in spinning similar to that in trolling. 



Fishing with the live bait, or as it is usually called 

 " sinking and roving," is condemned by many anglers ; 

 but in waters much infested with weeds, and open in 

 only a narrow passage or small pools, it affords much 

 sport. The ordinary trace is generally dispensed with, 

 and a trace fitted with one or two corks as floats is 

 attached. The live bait is either hooked through the 

 nose, or the upper, hook of the snap-tackle is inserted 

 beneath the back fin, or it is fixed, as shown in the 

 drawing of some new tackle, whereby the fish is secured 

 round the centre, resting on a hook, whilst beneath 

 hangs a triangle of deadly power. About eighteen 

 inches from the bait a small sinker is attached by a 



