^38 THE TROLLER S GUIDE. 



which causes a coloured water. Jack and Pike keep 

 very close in-shore, among the sags, sedges, or rushes 

 which lay near the banks, or in the still bends of rivers, 

 to keep out of the heavy waters and rapid currents, 

 where they remain stationary until the waters clear 

 and subside. The Angler, who then chooses to try for 

 them, must troll close, even to the touching of those 

 sags and rushes, &c., or he will seldom move a Fish ; 

 but immediately the water clears, then comes the 

 TroUer s turn, for the Jack and Pike having been, for 

 some time, on short allowance, are now bold, voracious, 

 and fearlessly take the baited hook. 



When you hav€ hooked a Jack or Pike, and played 

 him till he is quite exhausted, and you are drawing 

 him ashore, make it a rule to float him on his side, and 

 keep the head a little raised above the surface of the 

 water, that the nose or gills may not hang to, or catch 

 hold of weeds, &c. while you are thus engaged bringing 

 your prize to the shore ; for, sometimes, you cannot 

 avoid drawing over or among weeds ; and I have seen a 

 Pike touch and get entangled this way ; and before it 

 could be disentangled, it recovered from its exhaus- 

 tion or stupor, and occasioned much trouble and ha- 

 zard before it could be again subdued. 



Note. It is asserted, by some Anglers, that Jack or 

 Pike will not take a bait when the moon shows itself 

 during the day-time ; and they declare, they have so 

 frequently and invariably found that to be the case, 

 that, when the moon shines on the water, let the hour 



