THE PIKE. 87 



somewhat rotten and tender. I remember once seeing a 

 -very large jack taken by this method, which, when landed, 

 was so embedded among a huge lump of weeds that it posi- 

 tively could not be seen; weeds and jack together must 

 have weighed close on a hundredweight. In dead-gorging 

 among the weeds the rod should be as stiff and as strong 

 as possible, and the line as strong as you like; in fact, it 

 cannot be too strong. One of those tanned plaited hemp 

 ones. No. i or 2 size, that is capable of standing a strain of 

 from thirty to forty pounds, will be plenty good enough for 

 this purpose, and as a forty or fifty yard length only runs 

 from two shillings to half-a-crown the price need not be a 

 serious consideration. I don't recommend a good silk spin- 

 ning line for this job ; if the angler is in the habit of fre- 

 quently fishing certain waters among the weeds with a dead 

 gorge it will pay him to have a strong, easy-going, cheap, 

 wooden reel, and a length o^ plaited hemp line, and use 

 them for that purpose only, the price would not exceed five 

 shillings for both, and as this line is rather sharp and harsh 

 in its texture it would be likely to saw through a bunch of 

 dead weeds like a reaping hook when a big jack threaded 

 his way through. The usual gorge hook is simply a double 

 hook of the pattern or shape known as a parrot beak, 

 securely fastened to a short length of stout twisted brass 

 wire, hook and wire being about five inches long over all ; a 

 piece of lead reaching from nearly the bends of the hooks 

 to within a couple of inches of the small eye at end of wire, 

 that is about three inches long and three-eighths of an inch 

 thick in the centre, tapering slightly towards each end, is 

 cast on the shank of hook and the brass wire in such a 

 manner that the whole is stiff and rigid. Joined to the 

 small eye at end of wire is a length of strong gimp, say from 

 I Sin. to 2ft., and this gimp should be fairly strong and in 

 keeping with the rest of the tackle. A short trace without 

 any lead on, say about a couple of feet long, with a strong 

 buckle swivel on the end, completes the troller's outfit. 

 The lead is inside the bait, so none is required on the trace; 

 iDesides you want nothing on the line to catch over or under 

 the weeds, more than you can possibly help. It would be 

 all the better if there was not even a swivel; but I con- 



