SNAP-FISHING. 21: 



then strikes with much violence, and instantly drags 

 or throws his victim, nolens volens, on shore, (and then 

 almost wonders how the devil he came there,) which 

 he is enabled to do, because the hooks used for the 

 Snap are of the largest and strongest kind used in 

 fresh-water fishing. But this hurried and unsports- 

 mun-like way of taking Fish can only please those who 

 value the game more than the sport afforded by killing 

 a Jack or Pike with tackle, which gives the Fish a 

 chance of escaping, and excites the Angler's skill and 

 patience, mixed with a certain pleasing anxiety, lest 

 he escapes, and the reward of his hopes by killing the 

 fish, which is the true sportsman's delight. Neither 

 has the snap-fisher so good a chance of success, unless 

 he angle in a pond or piece of water, where the Jack 

 or Pike are very numerous^ or half starved, and will 

 hazard their lives for almost any thing that comes in 

 the way ; but in rivers where they are well fed, worth 

 killing, and rather scarce, the coarse snap-tackle, large 

 hooks, &c. generally alarm them : on the whole, I 

 think it is two to one against the snap, in most rivers ; 

 and if there are many weeds in the water, the large 

 hooks of the snap, by standing rank, are continually 

 getting foul, damaging the bait, and causing much 

 trouble and loss of time. Jack are also killed by the 

 artificial bait, called a Devil, which should be about 

 three inches long ; they are kept ready fitted at the 

 fishing-tackle shops. (See Devil for Trout, page 109 J 



