l8 THE PIKE_ 



fed. In 1446 jack was one of the chief dishes in the High 

 Church festival given in that year by George Neville, Arch- 

 bishop of York. During the reign of Henrv VIII. it 

 fetched as much again as house lamb in February, and a 

 very small pickerel was dearer than a fat capon ; and jack 

 figured on all the menus of civic banquets in London and 

 elsewhere for many generations." Personally I look upon 

 pike as being a very fair fish for the table, that is, if the 

 water they were caught in was of first class quality ; if he 

 came out of a muddy stagnant pond, I don't suppose he 

 would be up to much ; but a good river or lake pike, where 

 the water is fresh, the bottom gravelly, and the food plenti- 

 ful, is by no means to be despised. I quoted just now some 

 examples from old history, in which this fish was very highly 

 esteemed. An old couplet ran thus : 



" Lo ! the rich pike, to entertain your guest, 

 Smokes on the board, and decks a royal feast." 



While on the other hand some of the ancients did not think 

 much of him, for Ausonius, the Latin poet, writing about 

 the fourth century of the Christian era, says of him as 



" Unknown at friendship's hospitable board, 

 Smokes 'midst the smoky tavern's coarsest food." 



Small pike, of say three to four pounds, are the best if 

 cleaned as soon after capture as possible, well washed and 

 dried, and then split open like filletting. Remove the back- 

 bone, also cut off the head, tail and fins, and then divide 

 each half in two ; fry crisp and clean over a clear fire in a 

 frying pan, with a good lump, say five or six ounces of fresh, 

 pure lard ; turn each piece over as soon as sufficiently cooked 

 on the under side, sprinkle with a little egg and breat! 

 crumbs and serve smoking hot (it is the best for the lard to 

 be at boiling point before dropping in the fish). If the pikft- 

 runs somewhat larger, say from five to nine pounds, it is the 

 best plan to put a couple of good handfulls of salt into its 

 «aaouth, and hang it up in a cool place, tail downwards, for 

 five or six hours, or possibly longer if the fish is larger ; it 

 can then be cleaned, washed, and prepared in the usual 

 manner, and either steamed or boiled, the same as cod, and 

 served with parsley sauce. Be sure it is well cooked — until 

 the flesh will flake nicely away from the bones, and if the 



