Chapt. vi. The pace that kills. 79 



impression that it is all important that it should spin 

 round and round with lightning speed. But there are 

 other things also which are important. The only object 

 of the bait spinning round and round on its own axis is, 

 as far as I am aware, to conceal the hooks, and perhaps 

 also to give the general appearance of a fish moving by 

 vibration of the tail. But chiefly I believe to conceal the 

 hooks. My idea is that it is better to attain this end by 

 having few and well concealed hooks, than at the sacrifice 

 of natural motion in the bait. It is true that from pau- 

 city of hooks, you sometimes have a run and do not hook, 

 because your bait has been taken by the tail where there 

 is no hook. But I would rather have that disappointment, 

 than not have the run at all by way of diversion ; and my 

 belief is that you get more runs on fine tackle with few 

 hooks, than you do when you have a bait bristling with 

 hooks enough to scare away the most strong minded of 

 fish. Besides there is a great advantage in fishing slowly. 

 Predatory fish do not hunt down flying game like a dog ; 

 they take it unawares like a cat, and if they feel they can- 

 not seize it at a spring, or a rush, they give it up, and 

 watch for another opportunity. Consequently if a bait 

 passes them rapidly,-they take no apparent notice of it, 

 considering the attempt at surprise likely to be vain. 

 Many and many a time have I watched them do the same 

 with a passing live fish. The young fellow is probably 

 not unaware of the dangerous quarters he is passing 

 through, and makes a dash of it accordingly; the old 

 fellow sees with half an eye that he is wide awake, and 



