84 PIKE AND OTHER COARSE FISH. 



reverse' hook is recommended; and— at any rate for the 

 smaller-sized flights — the extra ' body-hook ' can then be dis- 

 pensed with. A gudgeon baited in this way with one of my 

 flights, the lip-hook being removed, is shown in the engraving. 

 The loop of the trace lapped up close to the end is here 

 indicated, as well as a portion of the trace, with the lead and 

 hook-swivel. 



MATERIAL FOR DRESSING FLIGHTS. 



There would be nothing, of course, so 'fine,' nor, it may be 

 added, so excellent as a medium for tying spinning-flights 

 and traces as single salmon-gut, if only it were not liable to be 

 cut by the pike's teeth, — the probability of such an accident 

 being increased in proportion to the size of the pike. I have 

 often, however, used single gut in very bright water and where 

 extreme fineness of fishing was essential to sport, taking my 

 chance of being cut. I have also used the twisted gut, and this 

 makes a very enduring and serviceable flight though, of course, 

 far from being as fine as single gut. On the whole, ordinary 

 gimp, fine rather than stout, and stained as directed, or varnished 

 with Brunswick black, will probably be found by the majority of 

 spinners the most satisfactory . medium, at any rate for the 

 flight itself 



When I dress my own flights on gimp I very commonly 

 make an exception of the flying triangle, which it is desir- 

 able should stand out with a certain amount of crispness or 

 elasticity (N.B. not rigidity) hardly to be obtained by silk 

 gimp. I dress this triangle on twisted (sometimes single) gut, 

 knotting it as well as lapping it round the central strand in the 

 manner shown in the flights already figured. 



The idea struck me a few months ago, when in a cobbler's 

 shop, that the hog's bristles which are used in shoemaking would 

 form an admirable material on which to dress the flying triangles 

 as they are so much thicker and apparently tougher than salmon- 

 gut. Having procured a good supply of the bristles, which I was 



