OR WALTONIAN CHRONICLE, 77 



that a small check is quite sufficient to fasten your hook 

 if the fish has gorged the bait. 



Your rod for Pike fishing should be about 16 feet, 

 (but some prefer it longer) stout, but as light as 

 possible, with upright rings that the line may run 

 glibly through, these rings should be large; your 

 line should be plaited or twisted silk, (the former is 

 the best, as that will not kink) not too coarse, but of 

 a good quality ; your hook should be always propor- 

 tioned to the bait-fish, not too rank or too small, and 

 leaded so as to sink the bait readily to the bottom ; 

 the best shaped lead for gorge hooks is flat and oval, 

 something like the shape of a Bleak, the hooks point- 

 ing as it were from the nose downwards ; some are of 

 opinion that the hook, when baited with a Gudgeon, 

 should turn up to the eyes, the size of the hook pro- 

 portioned to the bait-fish. 



As gimp is indispensibly necessary in Jack fishing, 

 (and some use it for Perch, made very fine) you should 

 have it of the best quality ; excellent gimp may be 

 procured at any of the tackle shops, choose that which 

 looks clean, round, and regular, and good gimp may be 

 known by drawing a little of the wire off, which will 

 display a good substance of silk, and the wire will be 

 very fine ; the size of gimp depends much upon the 

 fancy of the Troller, but fine gimp of the quality 

 before described will hold a heavy fish. 



Instead of a winch for trolling, I prefer a hand 

 runner, these are generally made so as to hold about 

 thirty or forty yards of line, holding this in your left 

 hand, you can gather up your line much quicker than 



