80 Sporting Sketches in Pen and Pencil 



14th of Eebrviary. After that time the pike get heavy in spawn, and feed 

 voraciously. According to my experience of the present pike fishing 

 fence months, June and February, are the two most deadly months in 

 the year. In both are the pike very hungry, and in the first they are kelts, 

 and quite unfit to take, while in the latter they are gravid. Five months 

 is long enough to war against ^sox lucius, if you want always to keep 

 up a good stock. 



Though I never got a severe big one, I have had a good share of pretty 

 good days. I once made a fine average at Lord Craven's. I got 

 ten fish, which averaged 13ilb. each. I, no doubt, might have caught 

 more, but I went on to perch fishing, which was of an attractive 

 and superior kind, fish of lilb. and 21b. coming ashore at every cast 

 of the paternoster. Another day with a friend, at the Duke of 

 Wellington's, at Strathfieldsaye, I got a big take. The biggest fish 

 was 221b. and the next 211b. We landed these two almost at the 

 same minute, and we got many fish of 151b., 141b., and ]21b., taking 

 nothing under 71b., for we threw in the little ones. How many there were 

 and what they weighed I do not remember, but I know that we nearly 

 covered the parlour floor of the little public- house at Winchfield with them. 

 But the biggest day I ever had was with a friend at Luton. We took 

 between us three-hundredweight, half of which we returned to the water as 

 under-sized, throwing in about forty fish of under 51b. weight ; and, knowing 

 something of London anglers, I doubt very much if any other couple would 

 have done that, as there was no restriction as to weight. We got nothing 

 over 171b., but there was a grand show of ten, eleven, and twelve 

 pounders. 



Perhaps about the most comprehensive places in England for pike fishing, 

 if they were pretty well protected, would be the Norfolk broads. They 

 have, however, for the most part, been poached to death. Let us hope the 

 new laws lately passed will change all this, and that London pike fishers 

 will know where to go for good sport without asking leave of any one 

 in the future. 



Very erroneous notions have prevailed as to the rate at which a pike 

 grows. This differs so much, owing to the difference of circumstances 



