ANGLING FOR PIKE. 121 



exactly as you do in trolling ; and, if the weather be 

 ■warm, and the season early, if any thing attracts jack, 

 or a large trout, you seduce them in this way. Put on 

 two swivels at least. Your bait you must be taught 

 to fix that upon the hook by an adept. Newton could 

 not give the figure of it on paper. Let your fish spin 

 rapidly, and as evenly as if it turned upon a spit put 

 through it, not swerving and wabbling from side to 

 side as it passes through the water. Throw twenty yards 

 of line or you do nothing. So ! — from the bank here — 

 right over, under the osiers, (or, as the cockneys call 

 them '* hosiers/') on the other side ! now draw diago- 

 nally — half against, half across, the stream, towards you ! 

 See how it spins ! — If there is a jack — a trout— a chub 

 within forty yards either side— if he has but as many 

 eyes as a tailor's needle, he cannot miss it." 



Snap-Jishing for Pike. 



Though pike is one of the most voracious fishes, it 

 is found sometimes that it will play with the bait 

 rather that swallow it, in which case, the snap is to be 

 used. The snap tackle may consist of a single hook, 

 larger and stouter than any within the register, which 

 being fastened to strong gimp, is inserted at the mouth 

 of a gudgeon, or other small fish, (the smaller, indeed, 

 the more certain,) and brought out either at the middle 

 of its side, or just before the vent. 



But the treble-snap is by far the best ; being made 

 of three such hooks tied fast together, and secured to 

 a piece of gimp ; which being inserted by means of a 

 baiting needle, at the vent, and carried out at the 



