THE BOOK OF THE PIKE 



in their waiting places. Then cast; at other times you 

 will get exercise, but no fish. It is useless to cast with 

 artificial lures, unless fish are feeding on or near the 

 surface. At other times wise anglers resort to other 

 methods — under-waters, live bait, trolling spoons, etc., 

 methods to be discussed in their proper place. Mem- 

 bers of the pike family are not as apt to take up their 

 abode in the branches of a down tree or beneath drift- 

 wood as are bass, though I would always fish out such 

 places on the chance of their concealing fish. Allow 

 no chance — possible chance — to pass. It is better to 

 cast many times uselessly than to miss some record- 

 breaking great pike. Take for your consolation that 

 even those who have made a lifelong study of the fish 

 are unable to surely foreknow where a great pike may 

 hide or just what he may do under any given circum- 

 stance. It is the element of uncertainty that makes 

 great pike angling or any other fishing, as for that, so 

 attractive. 



That casting is far and away the most successful and 

 sportsmanlike method of taking great pike I am firmly 

 convinced. More successful, because the angler is 

 actually casting where the fish lurks, waiting for food ; 

 and more sportsmanlike, because the handling of arti- 

 ficial lures is always a finer and nicer method of angling 

 than where bait is employed. "Finer," "nicer," those 

 two words do not adequately convey just what I have 

 in mind, yet they must serve. There is something 

 very attractive about the swinging rod, the forward 

 shoot of the lure, while the reel shouts an accompani- 

 ment; the dull "fiop-plop" of the striking lure, followed 

 by the occasional noisy commotion of an attacking 

 fish. That great-pike fishing with lures is about the 



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