PIKE FISHING— SPINNING. 89 



or crinkling up of the line, which no care in the selection of the 

 swivels or the preparation of the tackle can always avert. 



' In ninety-nine cases out of a hundred " kinking " is the result 

 of insufficient vis inerticz in the leads to make the swivels act. 

 The lead was always attached to the trace by the trace passing 

 through a hole in the centre of the lead, and, in consequence, it 

 was impossible it could offer any resistance worth mentioning 

 to the rotatory motion of the bait, the effects of which — that is 

 the twisting-— instead of being confined to the yard or so of gut 

 or gimp below the lead, naturally extended to the upper part of 

 the trace and running-line, and produced " kinking." 



' " Kinking " is only another word for twisting ; get rid of 

 twisting and "kinking'' at once becomes impossible. The 

 nature of the disease being thus diagnosed, the cure became 

 easy : — The lead, instead of being evenly balanced on the line, 

 should be attached with its principal bulk or weight hanging 

 horizontally beneath it. By changing the position of the centre 

 of gravity the resisting power or vis inertice of the lead is, for 

 the purpose in question, more than quadrupled without any 

 increase in the actual weight, and the proper action of the 

 swivels is ensured.' 



Since I first brought this plan to the notice of the public in 

 the columns of the Field some twenty years ago, dozens of 

 spinning-leads have been invented — all imitations or modifica- 

 tions of this system. I have myself made many experimental 

 varieties, some of which have appeared from time to time as 

 new editions of my books on fishing have been called for ; the, 

 object being to arrive at perfection in the form of the lead. 



The first point to be overcome in the original lead was 

 its tendency to hang or catch in the weeds, which gave 

 some irreverent critics an opportunity for aspersing it as ' Mr. 

 Pennell's weed-catcher.' This criticism, however, even if not 

 kindly meant, had a salutary effect in stimulating the inventive 

 powers of myself and others. We soon had the ' Field lead,' 

 followed by half a score of others, the names of which I forget. 

 But I remember that none of them hit upon, what I will apo- 



