126 
THE GOLDEN RIVER. 
to handle. Thread the swivel of the trace, the 
spoon, and the hook, on to it. Pass each end 
through all three again, take hold of each end 
with a separate pair of pliers and pull slowly 
till the double ring is formed. See that the 
hook lies on the hollow side of the spoon, with 
its back towards it. Now all three are threaded 
on a ring of doubled wire, but that ring has 
loose ends, and would fly apart if you let go. 
Bring these ends together, still holding them 
in the pliers, and cross them. Then with your 
fingers spiral each end in turn round the doubled 
ring, exactly in the way you fasten off your gut 
cast when you take it off your line and coil it 
up to put away : except that here you spiral 
each end in turn round the coil, not one only. 
The two spirals go, of course, reverse ways, 
and meet at the opposite side of the circle : here 
you can finish them off by taking both ends in 
the pliers and twisting them together in the 
manner described before : or, if you want to be 
doubly strong, you can spiral each end round 
the whole circle, first one and then the other 
on the top of it, when they will meet at their 
starting point and are twisted off there. For 
convenience of forming the spirals, cut off the 
spare ends so that you have a shorter piece to 
pass and repass through the ring : but do not 
do this till the ring is, so to speak, set, and 
will not fly open. 
I hope that is clear. It is not easy at first 
