Chap. 4. Of the P I K E. 1J9 



and late in the Evening, and feldom to any 

 Purpofe in the Night at any Time of the Year. 

 He bites moft freely in a clear Water, and a 

 gentle Gale ; in ilill Places ufually, or at leail 

 in a gentle Stream. Three o'Clock in the Af- 

 ternoon is his bed Hour in Jidy^ Auguft^ Sep- 

 t ember ^ and O^oher, In Sep ember ^ and all 

 the Winter Months, he bites all the Day long, 

 but always beft about the Middle of the After- 

 noon, the Water being clear, and the Day 

 windy. Indeed, both in the Winter and Sum- 

 mer, the chief Sport is in a dark, cloudy, 

 gloomy, and windy Day : But in a muddy 

 Water he bites not well, except after a Flood, 

 when the River begins to clear. Fikes 

 fometimes grow to forty five Inches in 

 Length. 



The Fike takes all Sorts of Riits, except 

 Fly ; but his principal Baits are large Guct- 

 geons^ Roaches^ fmall- Dace^ large •Minnows^ 

 Loaches ^Bull-heads ^ d.ndBleaks. In July he may 

 be taken with young Frogs, Salmon-fmelts no 

 bigger than a Gudgeon, Smelts or Sparlings that 

 are fmall, frelh, and fweet, and well faftened 

 on the Hook. Fat Bacon is ufed by fome for 

 a Bait for him, in the Winter Months. A 

 youngTrout, a young Jack, a Perch, with 

 his back Fins cut off, and a Piece of an Eel, 

 are good Baits likewife for the Pike ; but be 

 fure that all your Fifh-baits be very frefh and 

 fweet when you ufe them. 



All Pikes that live long prove chargeable to 

 their Keepers, bccaufe their Life is fupported 



by 



