4 



248 THE troller's guide. 



kill the heaviest Pike, provided your hooks and tackle 

 are good. In Ramsey Meer, Huntingdonshire, there 

 is an annual exhibition, called a bottle-race, and often 

 much betting on the event of which bottle kills a 

 Pike first : the baits and hooks are managed in the 

 same manner as with a bladder ; the bottle (a wine 

 bottle) is used in place of a bladder ; the line is tied 

 round the neck. When several are so pre])ared, they 

 are ranged in a row, and all launched at a given sig- 

 nal ', and much amusement and delight is afforded the 

 spectators, by the Jack and Pike dragging the bottles 

 about, and often two come in contact. If the Fish 

 feed well, which is generally the case, for this exten- 

 sive piece of water abounds with Jack and very large 

 Pike, some fasten their trimmer lines to large bricks, 

 or heavy pieces of stone, or clods of earth, to prevent 

 them being noticed, and throw them into the water. 



Snaring, or Haltering, of Jack and Pike. 



In the Spring and Summer, Jack and Pike will fre- 

 quently lie dozing near the surface of the water, es- 

 pecially in large ditches, connected with rivers and 

 ponds, also among weeds ; they are then taken in an 

 unsportsmanlike manner, by making a running noose 

 of wire gimp troUing-line, or treble-twisted gut fas- 

 tened to a strong line and rod, or pole ; the noose 

 should be very carefully drawn over the Fish's head 

 beyond the gills, then, with a strong jerk, he is se- 

 curely caught ; lift him out immediately. Fish may 

 be taken, when found lying in a similar manner to that 



