238 THE WAEWICKSHIEE HUNT. [1892 



" Eusticus Expectans " in the Field : 



THE EARLY PIKE 



For some time past it has been a tradition amongst iis to try and catch 

 bream and tench in the following manner — namely, to invite an unlimited 

 number of friends and relations to a kind of tea picnic on the bank of a 

 picturesque mill pond not very far from Leamington ; a certain amoimt of 

 meal from the mill having been previously thrown into the water. The old 

 Roman camp and luigo Jones's windmill were certainly objects of interest, 

 while the children had a very merry time in running up and down the bank 

 and occasionally falling in ; but as for the capture of bream, &c., results were 

 generally nil, a 21b. eel and a few small roach being the usual bag. Dissatis- 

 fied with this, my friend and myself determined on a different plan of opera- 

 tions. "We first wrote for suggestions to a celebrated fisherman in Cheshii-e, 

 whose answer showed us that our previous mode of attack had been entirely 

 wrong, tench being particularly shy and timid fish ; we also learned that early 

 in the morning soon after sunrise was the time when bream were generally on 

 the feed. Having baited the pool with a more than sufficient supply of brewers' 

 grains, we determined on an early start on the morrow. At half -past four we 

 were out of bed, and six o'clock found us by the pool side, on a grey and misty 

 morning. As we passed through the village the labourers were just starting 

 for their work, and a half ironical greeting, " You're up early this morning, 

 sir," was followed by a cheery wish for our success. The rods having been 

 adjusted, proceedings commenced, and a 211). bream was very shortly on the 

 bank. After this there was an unhappy lull, which was only interrupted by 

 the extraordinaiy manoeuvres of a shoal of roach, which kept on, at certain 

 intervals, leaping out of the water like a small school of herrings, just 

 opposite our station. After mutual consultation we settled that this was 

 caused l)y the inroads of a pike, which, cruising round our baited ground, was 

 entirely spoiling the sport. 



A Devon minnow was put up with no resiilts, but my friend, having hooked 

 a roach, left it in the water, slowly the float moved roimd, Ijobbing at intervals, 

 when all of a sudden there was a fresh rise of small fry, a huge fin appeared 

 above the water, the float disappeared, and what we feared would soon be a 

 debacle commenced. A hurried consultation was held, and it was determined 

 to give him time. After a few minutes, pressure was suggested, which 

 resulted satisfactorily, and when the roach was seen drifting on the water 

 while the float remained two or three feet below, we had the satisfaction of 

 knowing that the pike was hooked. The excitement then reached fever heat, 

 knowing as we did that we had a good fish on a small perch hook with a single 

 gut, and no landing net or gaff within two miles. The old salmon rod which 

 had done its work well on the Blackwater years ago was equal to the occasion. 

 My friend stood well back and gave him the butt, while I directed from the 

 bank, it being most necessary to keep a steady strain on the fish to jjrevent him 

 biting the gut or getting into the weeds, towards Avhicli he made repeated and 

 vigorous rushes. In about a quarter of an hour the miller appeared on the 

 scene with a sieve, and the fish appeared on the top of the water. The sieve 

 proving ineffectiial, and the miller having been strongly requested not to 

 touch the line, retired, but shortly reappeared with an old rusty meat hook ; 

 this was used as a gaff, and, the fish having been cautiously steered under the 

 bank wall, after one or two failures and three or four rushes, was happily 



