CHAPTER III. 



LIVE-BAITING. 



Floai-Hshing — Improved Snap-tackles — Gorge-hooJes — Paier- 

 nostering — Legering, &c. 



NGLING for pike with live fisli is carried on 

 either with float- tackle, with the paternoster, 

 or with the leger. Float-tackle keeps the 

 bait suspended in mid- water, or lower, and 

 the whole of the tackle is above the bait. 

 The paternoster keeps the bait at the 

 proper depth by means of a lead at the 

 extreme end of the line, about 2ft. below 

 the bait. The leger is somewhat similar to the paternoster, 

 but the lead which rests on the bottom is above the bait, 

 which is at the end of the line. Occasionally it is con- 

 venient to use a float with the paternoster and leger, but 

 with the latter rarely. As pike have their eyes situated on 

 the top of the head, they may be naturally supposed to see 

 better that which is above them than things below their 

 level. It follows that, of the three tackles mentioned, the 

 first is the most conspicuous, while in the other two nothing 

 but the bait, with the hook or hooks upon it, and a certain 

 length of line, can be seen, for the lead, in both tackles rests 

 on the bottom, and the float is altogether wanting. Of the 

 two, the paternoster is most deadly, for it enables the bait 

 to be worked in water of practically any depth. In the leger, 

 on the other hand, the bait, being below the lead, is necessarily 

 near the bottom, and that form of tackle is most useful when 



