THE PIKE. 103 



with pike of all sizes. He fished all day in deep water with 

 the bait (small dace averaging tvvo ounces each), about a 

 yard from his float, and successfully landed ten fish weigh- 

 ing altogether forty-one pounds, largest 5^1bs. Another 

 gentleman whose ticket was dated for a week later, took 

 down a can of dace that must have gone on the average half- 

 a-pound each ; he fished deep down, and landed nine fish 

 weighing altogether 132 ^Ibs., the largest 24^1bs, the 

 smallest ylbs ; a vast difference, which could only be satis- 

 factorily explained by the different methods the two anglers 

 had of going to work, as the conditions were similar on 

 both days. If the place is in a very awkward position and 

 weeds are pretty plentiful, but not suflEicient to stop a bait 

 from working about at all, it will be as well to use a live 

 gorge tackle instead of a snap; the hooks of the latter 

 might catch among the weeds, whereas the gorge hook lies 

 flatter on the side of bait, and is less conspicuous. The 

 live gorge is simply a double hook, whipped firmly on the 

 end of a foot or so of fine gimp, and threaded until the hooks 

 lie on the side, close up to the gill covers ; the loop of the 

 gimp being brought out just behind the dorsal or back fin. 

 Care must be taken in threading the bait that the needle 

 and gimp only just goes under the skin, and that the points 

 of the hook project well above the side, and are not buried 

 in the bait at all. The same trace and float will do for this 

 as for snap-fishing, the only difference in using a gorge 

 bait, is that the pike must be allowed five or six minutes 

 to swallow the bait, instead of striking at the disappearance 

 of the floats. When the pike seizes the gorge bait you 

 must let him go where he likes, even if he threads right 

 through a bed of weeds, don't check him in the slightest, 

 but pay out line until he stops, and then quietly lay down 

 the rod m such a position that he can take more line off 

 the reel if he wants it, and wait five or six minutes. • If be- 

 fore this time expires the float comes tO' the surface, you 

 may know he has rejected the bait, but if it keeps down 

 unless it gets fast among the weeds, you may hope that he 

 has got it swallowed, and tighten on him, extricating him 

 from among the weeds in the best manner you can. I don't 

 like gorge fishing at all, but still it is useful under some 



