202 ON THE ECONOMICAL USES OF FISHES. 



generally, however, caught with lines, and one kind 

 of apparatus called a trimmer, and in some places a 

 I'igger is very successful in taking, not only this fish, 

 but lai'ge perch also. By using this, which is a 

 common line, with a large pike-hook attached, rolled 

 round a piece of wood or bunch of rushes allowed 

 to float about, Mr. Yarrell relates that a friend of his 

 own took, in the course of four days fishing in Nor- 

 folk, 256 pike, weighing altogether 1135 pounds. 

 Pike of enormous size have been taken in some of 

 our Scotch lakes by the rod and line ; one caught 

 by trolling, by Colonel Thornton of sporting cele- 

 brity, in Loch Awe, after a struggle of an hour and 

 a quarter, weighed fifty pounds, but a pike of still 

 greater dimensions was taken in a loch in Galloway, 

 of the enormous weight of seventy-two pounds, and 

 this, in all probability, may be considered as the 

 largest fish ever killed with the rod. It rose, we 

 believe, at an artificial fly. The pike, especially 

 when of moderate size, is considered by some as 

 superior even to salmon. This is, however, a mere 

 matter of opinion. Though we are very sceptical 

 on this subject, to do the pike justice, we seldom 

 tasted a more delicious fish. Considerable quanti- 

 ties are sold in London and in other large cities in 

 the south of England, and they bring a high price. 

 Almost all the British Ci/prinidce are (more or 

 less) objects of interest to the angler, but, as food, 

 they may be regarded as rather insipid than other- 

 wise. There are some exceptions, however ; among 

 others, the tench, C. tinea, and the carp, C carpio. 



