<250 THE TROLLER S GUIDE. 



After Jack and Pike have fully recovered from 

 spawning, they then have many beautiful spots on their 

 bodies, of a bright white and yellowish colour 3 their 

 tails and fins have also on them numerous dusky spots 

 and waved lines. Jack and Pike, when on the feed, 

 are as bold as they are voracious, attacking all kinds 

 of Fish, except the Tench. 



Pike, fell tyrant of the liquid plain, 



With ravenous waste devours his fellow train ; 



Yet, howsoe'er with raging famine pin'd, 



The Tench he spares, a medicinal kind ; 



For when by wounds distress'd, or sore disease, 



He courts the salutary Fish for ease ; 



Close to his scales the kind Physician glides. 



And sweats the healing balsam from his sides. | 



Pope. 



i 



\ 

 When much distressed for food, they will seize the 

 smaller of their own species, and also ducks, water- 

 rats, mice, frogs, or any other small animal they can 

 meet with : they will often seize a small Fish, which 

 the Angler has hooked, while he is drawing it out of I 

 the water, leaping above the surface for that purpose. 

 I have known many instances of their swallowing the 

 leaden plummet that the Angler is taking his depth, 

 with ; and once, ^hile I was plumbing the depth 

 (preparatory to fishing for Chub in the winter) with a|| 

 folding plummet, having a No. 8 hook and a gut-line, 

 a Jack of about two pounds immediately pouched my 

 plummet j the hook, hanging over the side of this 



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