1010 



SCANDINAVIAN l-ISIIES. 



Fig. 262. Sprintjkrok: hollow, with the ol.istic arms held biick liy 



their pressure iigainst the sides of the tuhe, as in (/, or 



drawn out, as in li. 



Thag (spinning), also called Bragspan, Oppror, 

 Bottenror, etc., is a well-known kind of angling. S. de- 

 ceptive hook (fig. '26.t), or a range of hook.s on a bright 

 metal bait imitating a fish, is towed with a long line, 

 which can be wound in on a reel (fig. 261, a), after a boat 

 rowed at an even and rather rapid pace. The fisher- 

 man's object is to attract the attention of the Pike in 

 the same j»arts of the water as when trolling; but in 

 this case he can manage without assistance if he holds 

 the line between his teeth. Spinning is practised 



Fig. 263. Spinning-bait for Pike. 



throughout the summer and autumn, but the best 

 season is from the middle of August till tlie end of 

 September. 



Spearing by toi'chlight (cldstiidjniiig) is perhaps 

 one of the oldest kinds of fisliing, and has advantages 

 as being one of the least expensive. The method of 

 using the light we have seen in the Stickleback-fishery 

 (see above, p. 657, fig. 164); but when spearing Pike, 

 the fisherman must find out the spot where the fish is 



standing, and wlien lie strikes witli tin; leister {Ijusicr 

 fig. 264), he must aim the blow at the he;id of the fish, 

 in case it should take to flight. Spearing is practised 

 in spring and autumn, when the nights are dark, and 

 off shores with shallow and clear water. 



Fish n\&\ also be speared in broad davHght. This 

 kind of fishing is called IJHMriiig (leistering), and is 

 most often employed for Salmon on their upward jour- 

 ney, but also for Pike when they are spawning on in- 

 undated meadow-land. The fisherman always goes 

 alone, and either stands on the shoi'e or wades, with 

 his creel on his back to receive the speared fish. But 



Fig. 264. Sahnoii .iml Pike spear, with tlie lower part of the shaft. 



as the fish are more difficidt of a]ipri);icli in the dav- 

 time, he must be skilled in the s])eci;d art (if hurling 

 the spear at his quarrv. 



Spenring l)y torchlight is ikjw less in vogue than 

 formerly: more effective methods of fishing hiive been 

 invented, and men of the craft have learnt by expe- 

 rience that it frightens the fish from shore, and thus 

 hai'ms the fishery. 



We should mention one more wav "f catching 

 Pike, though it can never be rewarded with any great 

 success. When the Pike is spawning or standing among 

 grass where it thinks itself hidden from sight, it may 

 be captured by cautiouslv passing a noose of copper 

 wire, attached to a stick, over its head until the noose 

 is past the gill-openings, when the fish should lie pulled 

 up at once. 



(Ekstko.m, Smitt). 



