THE PIKE FAMILY. 139 



fishing for them here. The tackle and the mode of taking 

 them, described with so much minuteness by Hofland and 

 Salter, are seldom resorted to in this country. Our anglers 

 having so many fish amongst the Perch and Salmon families, 

 and salt-water species, affording an infinite deal more sport, 

 the Pike of our ponds are considered fish of secondary or 

 third-rate importance. 



When fishing a pond from a boat, the snood should have 

 two hooks, the smaller about two inches above the larger ; 

 the end of the bait or head of the minnow being held by 

 the upper, while the lower hook is passed through it mid- 

 way. When the Pike takes the bait he should be allowed to 

 run a short distance ; the line should then be tightened and 

 the angler strike, and get the fish into the boat as soon as 

 possible, never allowing him any slack line. 



Trolling for Pike with a Gorge-Hook. — Where there 

 are deep holes close in by the bank, trolling with the gorge- 

 hook is far more successful than any other mode. A good 

 bass rod of twelve feet, with metallic guides and tip, and an 

 easy -running reel with forty yards of plaited- silk line, are 

 then required: a tin bait-box, carried at one's side like a 

 powder-flask, is best to hold the minnows used for bait ; they 

 should have bran, coarse meal, or saw-dust put in with them, 

 to prevent their rubbing or bruising. A piece of gimp of 

 twelve inches is attached by a box-swivel to the line, and a 

 hook-swivel is fastened at the other end of the gimp, for the 

 purpose of taking off X)r putting on the bait after it is placed 

 on the 



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GORGE-HOOK. 



