Chapt. xnr. Sinkers. 175 



be much better; it would not be so awkward in baiting, 

 for it would bend on one side as desired; and it would 

 not stick stiffly out of the bait's mouth and show, as an 

 iron ring frequently' does. And what if it does wear out 

 a little sooner than iron, nothing is simpler than to knot 

 a fresh loop. But in practice I do not think it does wear. 

 Because there is very little strain on it. 



If you have not the time to wait for sinkers from home, 

 and are not content with the rough and ready plan above 

 indicated, many a native blacksmith will turn out a thing 

 like a bullet mould, for casting three sizes of sinkers, and 

 that is all you want. 



These sizes may be | of an inch long in the lead, by 

 Jg- thick in the broadest place, and f x § and ^ x f , but 

 the medium size will be found most useful, and next to 

 that the smallest size. 



But you cannot get more than a limited amount of 

 lead stowed away in a bait's inside, and for still further 

 weighting your line very convenient sinkers are sold in 

 English tackle shops, consisting of a long shaped piece 

 of lead strung on to a short bit of line with a loop at 

 either end, so that it can be attached to, or detached from, 

 the trace at pleasure. Still I would not advocate the 

 use of this except as an additional sinker, and after 

 having stowed away all^you can in the bait's hold; for it 

 is there out of sight, and makes no splash, and is in the 

 best position for throwing. 



But then again if you want as much as an Enfield 

 bullet's weight, as K. advocates in appendix B., you must 



