30 ANGLING FOR PIKE. 



Lines are not necessarily strong because they are tHck. A 

 thick line, half cotton, is not stronger than a line one-third 

 the thickness, of pure silk. It is difficult for me to say what 

 sized line is best for general fishing; but a good silk line 

 which breaks at a strain of 121b. or 131b. will be fine enough 

 for Thames jack-fishing — finer, indeed, than most beginners 

 would care to use. A rather stouter line is advisable for 

 spinning, as in that mode of angling the line is subjected to 

 much friction, and soon wears out; and also for fishing the 

 Irish and Scotch lakes, where giant pike may be expected. If 

 the angler makes up his mind to devote his attention ex- 

 clusively to the giants, and fishes with baits of lib. or more, he 

 will do well to use rather stouter gimp and line than ordinary, 

 for very large pike sometimes put out extraordinary strength. 



I always have my pike-lines in two pieces, the front piece, 

 which I may term the working portion, about 60yds. in 

 length, of the dressed line described ; while behind it is a back 

 line of undressed, twisted silk, which is finer, but equally 

 strong because it is twisted. This fineness is an advantage, for 

 it enables extra line to be got on the reel ; and as the back-line 

 is not dressed, it does not heat and rot, as dressed lines do 

 occasionally if a great number of yards are wound on a reel. 

 These two lines should, of course, not be knotted together, 

 but spliced in the following manner : The end of the dressed 

 line should first be scraped a little with a penknife, to thin it 

 down, and the end of the twisted line unravelled for lin. The 

 two ends should then be thoroughly well waxed with cobbler's 

 wax, laid together, and rolled between the first finger and thumb. 

 The next process is to bind them over carefully with well-waxed 

 silk ; finish ofE as shown in Fig. 19, and the splice is complete. 



Lines should always be dried after use. My favourite plan is 

 simply to pull the line off the reel on to the floor or table, leave 

 it untouched all night, and wind up again in the morning. 

 There are several " ifs " about the success of this plan : If 

 your line does not kink, which it will not do if the tackle 

 described in this book is used; if the maidservant can be 

 persuaded not to move it in the morning, and if there are no 

 children, dogs, or cats to interfere with it ; if there are no 



