2o6 COARSE FISH. ^ 



torn without even pricking the feeding trout ; and 

 it is Httle short of a marvel to see how a bait is 

 scored, all to pieces, and yet the fish missed. A 

 flying triangle, beyond the tail, is very deadly ; but 

 it has a nasty habit of hooking fish outside the 

 mouth, which is extremely dangerous when any 

 obstructions are about, or when getting the fish 

 into the landing-net. I once hooked a six-pound 

 trout in heavy water by the pectoral fin ; the fish 

 came short at the bait twice ; then, as I thought, 

 took it ; when I felt the play, I thought I had, at 

 last, got hold of a really big one. For some time, 

 I could do nothing with him ; he was all over the 

 weir, plunging, leaping, and doing just what he 

 pleased ; and at his first leap, I saw he was hooked 

 somewhere outside the mouth. I really think the 

 fish took twenty minutes to kill, and I was uncom- 

 monly glad when my wife slipped the net under 

 him. 



The hooks on the flight must be reasonably small, 

 with keen points and plenty of metal in the bends ; 

 very fine wired hooks should not be used. The 

 mouth of a trout is very small compared with that 

 of a pike, and you cannot make large hooks pene- 

 trate with fine tackle, even if the fish gets them in 

 his mouth. Small triangles are the best for trouting, 

 and they must be of the very best make, and not 

 ridiculously small : No. 8 (Hardy's) trebles are a 

 useful size. Spinning requires stouter tackle than 

 livebaiting, the strike must be harder, as the hooks 

 are partially embedded in the bait. In difficult 

 weirs, a tiny float, as a guide to the position of the 

 bait, may be placed on the line ; fix it at least six 

 feet from the lead. In spinning from well- 

 heads, where little throwing has to be done, whep 



