PIKE-FISHING. 177 



unreels at great length, the fish has not swallowed the bait 

 almost at a gulp. However, there is the run, and the fish 

 has stopped. Should he after a momentary pause move off, 

 and stop again, only to continue his journey after another 

 equally brief halt, the run is not over. By-and-by one, two, 

 three, five minutes pass with no further movement except a 

 scarcely perceptible vibration of the line, should there be 

 little or no slack out. Whenever the fish now moves off I 

 tighten, strike very gently, and winch in ; and I venture to 

 say in the majority of cases there will be a fish at the end of 

 the line. This, like any other suggestion, may fail in appli- 

 cation, but I have found it in the main reliable. Quite as 

 often as not the entire transaction of run, pouch, strike, and 

 capture might be effected within five or eight minutes. 



Live baiting is a deadly operation sometimes, and an 

 exciting one if the bait is affixed to snap-tackle that is to 

 say, a small hook thrust under the back fin, and one or two 

 triangles (one on each side) hanging level with or slightly 

 below the belly. On lakes, or broad rivers where a thirty- 

 yard cast is desirable, it requires not a little skill to haul in 

 the line until you have the requisite tautness for striking, 

 because striking at these times must be sharp. This style 

 of fishing in a narrow river abounding with deep holes which 

 can be brought nearly under the point of the rod gives won- 

 derfully good sport, and is figuratively as well as literally 

 above board. Dace for live baiting, as for spinning and 

 trolling, are immeasurably beyond roach, gudgeon, or trout 

 as baits, and next to dace a large gudgeon will be found 

 most lively and hardy. 



The use of the live gorge hook threddle< i under the skin 

 suits the idle man, or the unskilful, to tne letter. Open 



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