182 Artificial Otter. Chapt. xiii. 



thin connecting twine, and the strain coming on the stern 

 of the otter, you will easily haul it on shore end on; 

 whereas it is not so easy when the otter remains broad- 

 side on, and more or less interfering with the playing 

 of your fish. The better way when it remains broadside 

 on is to stand still, or retrace your steps, so as to get the 

 otter in. 



The tow line should be prepared as follows: Get a 

 lot of small brass rings just big enough to run easily on 

 the tow line, but so small that a knot tied in the tow line 

 will not pass through them. Put twenty or thirty of these 

 rings on the tow line, each six or eight feet apart, say eight 

 for preference, with a common whip knot on each side of 

 it, so as to prevent its shifting. The ring is to prevent 

 the drop lines from twisting round the tow line. To these 

 rings attach your drop lines, which must not be more than 

 2i feet to the hook; so that by no means can they reach 

 each other, and entangle in the water, even when the 

 drops are only six feet apart. But I think eight feet is 

 a fairer distance at which to place the drops, so as to be 

 secure against entanglements, even in the event of the tow 

 line sagging, or a heavy fish behaving badly. These drop 

 lines will be the better, in the case of spinning fish, for 

 having one or two swivels each. I would recommend the 

 drop lines having two brass swivels each, and being not 

 more than 2 feet long, with a large loop at the end. To 

 this loop your fly snood, or spinning bait snood, can then 

 be easily attached, and re-attached, when fresh baiting or 

 interchanging fly and spinning bait; and there will be no 



