THE PIKE 149 



surface of the water ; at every few steps one would 

 come across a little break in the weeds, and in each 

 one a little Pike, perhaps 4 or 5 inches long, and 

 three or four months old, which, when disturbed, 

 would shoot out towards the main stream as far as 

 the edge of the weeds. As Lubbock has observed 

 in Norfolk, the Pike is solitary from the first, and in 

 summer almost every distinct puddle in fens where 

 turf is cut has its tiny tyrant in an infant Pike, 

 who enacts despotic sovereignty and lords it over 

 tadpoles and fry. 



During a good many seasons' fishing in Dorset- 

 shire on the Stour in August and September 1 have 

 caught a number of Pike of about f lb., I J lbs., 

 and 2|- to 3 lbs. weight, and there can be little 

 doubt that these were rather more than one, two, 

 and three years old respectively ; this seems to be 

 about the usual rate of growth in most good 

 streams, and afterwards for some years the increase 

 is said to be about 2 lbs. a year, but there is some 

 very good evidence that in favourable circumstances 

 growth may take place at the rate of as much as 

 4 or 5 lbs. a year. However, after a certain size 

 has been reached the rate of growth must decrease, 

 and if the larger the Pike the later the spawning 

 and the longer the period required to get into 

 condition, it follows that a time must come when 

 growth will cease, as the fish will be able to do no 

 more than make good his losses, and this will be 

 succeeded by a period of senile decay, when the 

 Pike, aged and worn out, becomes lanky and large 

 headed, and if in his enfeebled condition he 

 escape his cannibalistic relatives may ultimately 



