228 THE COMPLETE ANGLER, PART I. 



good ; for I have tried it, and it is somewhat the better 

 for not being common. But with my direction you 



motion of a small fish in swimming. If a Pike is near, he mistakes the 

 bait for a living fish, seizes it with prodigious greediness, goes off with 

 it to his hole, and in about ten minutes pouches it. When he has thus 

 swallowed the bait, you will see the line move ; which is the signal for 

 striking him; do this with two lusty jerks, and then play him. 

 The other way of taking Pike, viz, with the SNAP, is as follows: 

 Let the rod be twelve feet long, very strong and taper, with a strong 

 loop at the top to fasten your line to. Your line must be about a foot 

 shorter than the rod, and much stronger than the trolling-line. 



And here it is necessary to be remembered, that there are two ways of 

 snapping for Pike, viz. with the Live and with the Dead-snap. 



For the Live-snap, there is no kind of hook so proper as the double 

 spring hook; the form whereof in two views, is given in Plate XL Fig. 7 

 and 8. To bait it, nothing more is necessary than to hang the bait-fish 

 fast, by the back fin to the middle hook, where he will live a long time. 

 See the last paragraph on the preceding page. 



Of hooks for the Dead-snap, there are many kinds. Fig. 9, of Plate XL 

 is a representation of one, which after repeated trials has been found to 

 excel all others hitherto known; the description and use of it is as follows, 

 viz. Whip two hooks, of about three eighths of an inch in the bent, to a 

 piece of gimp, in the manner directed for that trolling-hook a view of 

 which is given in Plate XI. Fig. 5. Then take a piece of lead, of the 

 same size and figure as directed for the trolling-hook above-mentioned j 

 and drill a hole through it from end to end : To bait it, take a long needle, 

 or wire ; enter it in at the side, about half an inch above the tail, and 

 with it pass the gimp between the skin and the ribs of the fish, bringing 

 it out at his mouth ; then put the lead over the gimp, draw it down into 

 the fish's throat, and press his mouth close, and then, having a swivel to 

 your line, hang on the gimp. 



In throwing the bait, observe the rules given for trolling ; but remem- 

 ber, that the more you keep it in motion, the nearer it resembles a living 

 fish. 



When you have a bite, strike immediately the contrary way to that 

 tvhich the head of the Pike lies, or to which he goes with the bait ; if you 

 connot find which way his head lies, strike upright with two smart jerks, 

 retiring backwards as fast as you can, till you have brought him to a 

 landing place, and then do as before is directed. 



There are various other methods, both of trolling and fishing at the snap, 

 xvhich, if the reader is desirous to know, he may find described in the 

 Complete Trailer, by Ro. Nobbes, 12mo. 1682, and the Angler's sure Guide t 

 before-mentioned, [and in HOWITT'S Angler's Manual, 1808.] 



As the Pike spawns in March, and before that month rivers are seldom 

 in order for fishing, it will hardly -be worth while to begin trolling till 

 April : after that, the weeds will be apt to be troublesome. But the prime 

 month in the year for trolling, is October ; when the Pike are fattened by 

 their summer's feed, the weeds are rotted, and by the falling of the water* 

 the harbours of the fish are easily found. 



Choose to troll in clear, and not muddy water, and in windy weather, 

 if the wind be not easterly. 



Some use, in trolling and snapping, two or more swivels to thek line, by 



