that the minute pieces of wax necessary to wax the silk thread should' be warmed and rendered sufficiently soft, or constant annoyance will be experienced in consequence of the silk breaking. Gum Mastic Wax.—A saturated solution of gum mastic in methylated spirit makes a good wax for whipping hooks, rods, &c. Green Spirit Varnish, very useful for colouring rods for fishing amongst weeds, is made with green sealing wax and methylated spirit. Break the wax into small pieces, and allow it to dissolve in a warm room. Orange Varnish. This may be made by mixing the following ingredients: Spirits of wine, 3oz.; orange shellac (crushed), 1 oz.; gum Benjamin (benzoin?), oz. Allow a week before using. Colourless Spirit Varnish.-Bleached shellac and methylated spirit, with a little gum Benjamin added. Brown Varnish.-Ordinary shellac dissolved in spirits of wine. It dries quickly, but must be used in a dry atmosphere. Indiarubber Varnish is made by heating linseed oil and the rubber in a sand bath till it is dissolved. This varnish takes a long time to dry. Copal varnish, with small quantity of gold size and turpentine, takes some time to dry, but it makes a good whipping wax. Steep the silk in it. Another wax. Tallow and resin each 23 drachms, beeswax 13 drachms, mutton suet, free from skin, 2 drachms, melt together. Now all these receipts are good according to their various proper uses. I prefer the cobblers' wax to any other for hook whipping, however, and the plain shellac varnish for rods. I have used all, and found them, according to circumstances, capital recipes, and I therefore invite the angler to make and try each one as required. I could have lengthened this chapter greatly, by adding ancient and, for the most part, comparatively useless notions, but such are not of more worth than curiosities to the modern practical angler; I refrain, having no doubt the foregoing will be found sufficient. CHAPTER X. TACKLE FOR SPINNING AND TROLLING. IN this chapter I throw the Esocida and Salmonidæ families together, because the applicability of the principles and designs of certain portions of the tackle used in their capture extends equally to each member of both families. Thus for example, a spinning trace or flight for pike will, so far -as principle and design are concerned, serve for the capture of a sea trout or salmon. Similarly with but slight alteration of detail, and none of principle, a salmon fly will take a pike, although not unfailingly it must be said. Spinning and trolling are commonly included in one category, because, as before explained, the verb "to troll" simply is from the French trôler, to lead about. Spinning explains itself to the initiated, and to the uninitiated I may say it implies the use of a bait that spins. All this may seem redundant, but as so many words in the English language, though professing to show their meaning, nevertheless do not, I am -constrained to descend to such simple exposition. Spinning and trolling in ordinary practice consists of the use of the spinning bait and the gorge bait. The former spins as intimated, the latter does not, but is worked with a sort of "sink and draw," motion explained in the chapter on Pike. I shall commen e with the former of the two. Spinning. This style of fishing requires the same principles throughout for both pike and the Salmonide the difference in the tackle simply consisting of variations in size. Naturally the first consideration is a selection of the best arrangement -of hook for the impalement and retention of the bait, the proper gyration or spin of the same, and the most certain capture of the fish which seizes it. Now, what is the best arrangement ? In order to answer this question it is necessary that the reader should see the old fashioned, and even now much used, Thames flight (p. 415). As this drawing is one of mine, it is, of course, not quite exact, but nevertheless sufficiently near, and, as will be seen, consists of four triplets, a back hook, and a lip hook. When writing on Pike, at p. 159, by inference I questioned the demerits of this Thames flight and the merits of Pennell's arrangement, shown on opposite page. Since that was written I have considerably modified my views, in consequence of careful and minute experiment, and I find that the evils of the Thames flight briefly are as follow: (1.) The difficulty of fixing the hooks on the bait, in the fish's mouth. This may need explanation. Let the reader suppose a brush of needles, instead of bristles, with their points turned upwards. Further that he places his hand upon these upturned needles. It will be found that no moderate amount of pressure will suffice to force the points into his hand. If, on the other hand, he denudes this imagined brush of all but say two or three of its needle bristles, any experimentor who cares to be so foolish, can, by the exertion of the smallest force, pierce his hand with the remaining points. The application of this is apparent. A great amount of force is necessary in the strike of the spinner to force the many hooks in the flight before us over the barbs. Whereas, if these points were reduced in number, a comparatively small amount of exertion would be necessary. It is therefore evident that the Thames flight errs because of the number of its hooks. 66 'But," the critic may answer, "the number of hooks increases the chance of hooking, because of the number." So it would, were it not for the former argument. A pike takes these many triangular hooks between its bony jaws, and holds tight for a second or two. If the angler then strikes the many points cannot pierce both because of the reason urged, and because of the fish's strength. What is gained in number is lost in certainty. Therefore the desideratum is a flight which will give the highest percentage of captures for the strikes or bites of the fish. (2.) The second evil is the rapid destruction of the impaled bait, and consequent increasing deterioration. The bait is pierced in many places, and the curve of its tail is arranged with comparative insecurity. Hence, it very soon loses its symmetry, and becomes water-sodden and soft. The force with which it falls on the water and other accidents then act upon it with a severity increasing with great rapidity, until it is utterly unfit for use. It therefore is soon spoilt, and is in nine cases out of ten unusable if a fish touches it with its teeth only, and is in consequence not caught. (3.) The third evil is the insecurity of the lip hook, and the consequent "doubling up "' of the bait after a little use. This of course, destroys the true spin so essential to successful pike or other fishing, rendering the bait unsightly, and accelerating its destruction. A great many of these detrimental features are done away with by the "Pennell" flight as figured. Upon its results I have not, though I have tried often with various dodges, been able to improve, and I unhesitatingly, without a word for the designer, whom I do not know personally, pronounce it the best flight yet made. This is after testing it in every conceivable fashion. As will be seen the bait is in situ, and each of the objections to the -ordinary shaped flight is done away with. Occasionally, according to choice, another triangle hook is added, but I do not favour this. Pike always, or nearly so, seize the bait by the centre-here is a triplet to meet him. If this does not hook him, the large tail hook does so ordinarily outside the jaw. The single hook cannot, as may be seen, tear out, because it goes right through the vertebra of the fish. The lip hook is also greatly improved. The cut represents the flight baited, showing the lip hook fixed. A little attention to the subject of lip hooks may here be opportune. FIG. 29. ORDINARY LIP HOOK, UNSECURED. The old-fashioned lip hook was usually, like This inconvenience was chiefly a greater danger of the bait "drawing," owing to the position of the loops, than in the older style, FIG. 30. THE ORDINARY LIP HOOK, SECURED. FIG. 31. LIP HOOK WITH BOTH LOOPS ONE WAY. |