196 LAKE AND STREAM GAME FISHING 



plainly see the * V ' shaped wake heading for the 

 rnoss near shore. Strangely, for some reason I 

 followed this wake to the moss and here found a 

 spot where I could see the water * bubbling ' and, at 

 once came to the conclusion, that Mr. Pike must be 

 close at hand. I also knew Mr. Pike had all of my 

 line dangling behind him, and as I was determined 

 to recover that line a few moments of careful drag- 

 ging located it and soon I had it on my reel again. 

 It seemed to me about an hour's careful work trying 

 to locate my fish when all of a sudden he started out 

 again and I am still figuring how he ever got out 

 of that bed of moss without breaking my line. As 

 soon as he found he was free he made a sudden dart 

 for open water and here is where I decided to end 

 all this in short order, for out in deep water with 

 plenty of line to play him and an abundance of re- 

 newed confidence it was merely a case of ' come to 

 daddy.' 



* The strangest part of it was that at no time 

 during our game of ' hide and seek ' did I get a 

 glimpse of him, not until I was ready to tickle him 

 behind his gills with my hand and lift him into the 

 boat. I was almost certain I had a musky all the 

 time, but I really felt satisfied when I found he was 

 only a pike, considering how I hooked him, then lost 

 him, again recovered him, and finally ' brought home 

 the bacon.' " Not so bad for Bill to land him after 

 his getaway. 



