PIKE-FISHING WITH FLOAT-TACKLE. 51 



tackle for frogs is a large, single hook, either hitched into the 

 skin of the back, or passed through the under lip, and so on to 

 the hind leg, to which it is fastened by a piece of thread. The 

 pike should be given at least three or four minutes to get the 

 bait well into his mouth before striking. 



Bait-cans are described at page 35. The angler will be 

 well advised to provide himself with a piece of cord, and keep 

 his can, or its zinc interior, as much as possible in the water 

 while he is fishing. If baits have to be taken a long journey, 

 they should be caught two days previously, and kept without 

 food, for when full of food they soon defile the water to such 

 an extent as to poison themselves. I have already stated 

 on page 35 how the water in a bait-can may be kept cool in 

 summer. 



Never fish with a half-dead bait. Success is only to be 

 insured by using bright, lively baits, though there are occa- 

 sions when pike will take almost anything edible. 



When fishing rivers in summer, it is not advisable to let 

 the float remain long in one place. Two minutes is usually 

 sufficient, and five minutes nearly always enough. The only 

 exception I would make to this rule is when a short stretch 

 of the river, or a weir-pool, is known to be particularly 

 well stocked with pike. It is rarely necessary to cast out 

 the float-tackle in rivers, for it can generally be worked to 

 the desired spot by means of the current. The less the bait 

 is cast, the longer it lives. When fishing over a sub-aqueous 

 weed-bed, moor the punt, drop the bait into the water, let 

 out 10yds. of line, and wait two or three minutes; then let 

 out 2yds. of line, and wait; and continue letting out line 

 every few minutes until the float is 50yds. or more distant. 

 Then shift the punt, and repeat the process until every yard 

 of the weed-bed has been covered. 



The Strike. — There are great differences of opinion among 

 our best pike-fishermen as to how a pike should be struck. 

 Mr. Pennell says strike, and go on striking until, by the 

 kicking of the pike, it is clear the hooks are into him. Mr. 

 Jardine says do not strike, but give a long, steady pull, and 

 hold the pike hard for a few seconds, to get the hooks well 



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