72 ANGLING FOR PIKE. 



water coloured. In warm weather spin higher than in cold 

 weather. Always be careful not to tread on the line. 



In summer the weeds prevent anything approaching 

 methodical castiug. As a matter of fact, beginners do not 

 often attempt spinning where weeds are plentiful; but more 

 experienced anglers frequently have good sport by casting 

 down runs between weed-beds by the sides of rushes, and 

 in nooks and corners which can only be reached by the most 

 accurate casting. 



In very hot weather it is desirable to spin near the surface, 

 but in cold weather spin deep. If the pike will not come at 

 the spinning bait fished in the ordinary way, try letting the 

 bait sink nearly to the bottom, and then draw it up obliquely, 

 repeating this process until the bait is worked in. If the 

 bottom is sandy, let the bait sink as far as it can go between 

 each draw. If the pike will not look at a spinning bait, try 

 some other method — e.g., patemostering. 



When a fish is felt, strike at once, and hard; but on the 

 subject of striking the reader had better turn to page 51, 

 where the matter is discussed at length. One point should be 

 borne in mind — that the larger and more numerous the hooks, 

 the harder must the strike be, and vice versa. Some hints on 

 playing and landing pike are given on page 58. The gaff 

 is far superior to the landing-net for landing a pike hooked 

 on spinning tackle. If the net is used, the hooks of the flight 

 are apt to get fearfully and wonderfully mixed up in the 

 meshes, and much time is lost. 



The rate at which a spinning bait should be pulled through 

 the water is a subject on which anglers differ considerably. 

 Some have even gone so far as to say how many draws of the 

 line should be made in a minute. My own practice is to draw the 

 bait through the water as steadily as circumstances will allow, 

 keeping the bait spinning all the time. Pike do not often 

 dash at a spinning bait with the rapidity of trout, and many 

 are lost by fishing too quickly. Therefore, draw the bait as 

 slowly as you can, hut heep it spinning. If you are drawing the 

 bait up stream, you can fish slower than if casting across the 

 stream, for the current spins the bait. Leads which are too 



