324 Pike- Fish ing. 



entrails, and, disengaging the gimp from the reel- 

 line, draw the bait and hooks through the opened 

 gills. Another method is to make an incision in 

 the body of the fish at the point where the hooks 

 are felt to be located, and draw the tackle out by 

 the aperture. 



Dead-gorge bait generally secures large pike. 

 It requires deeper water than snap live-bait or 

 spinning-minnow, and it succeeds well when the 

 river is low and clear. It is, however, of greatest 

 service in waters so overrun with weeds that a 

 spinning-bait cannot by any possibility be worked. 



Gorge-bait fishing may be practised with a live 

 bait as well as with a dead one; and by many 

 anglers the former is preferred. Live-gorge may be 

 used in all places where a snap live-bait would 

 bring success, although the method of working it 

 is similar to that already described for the dead- 

 gorge. The tackle corresponds with that for snap 

 live-bait, with the exception of the hook, which, in 

 the case of the live-gorge, may be either single or 

 double : the latter is the more common. Insert the 

 baiting-needle, carrying the gimp and hooks, under 

 the skin of the live-bait behind the pectoral fin, and 

 bring it out near the end of the dorsal fin. Draw 

 the gimp through until everything but the barbs of 

 the hooks is hidden under the skin, and make the 

 connection with the swivel on the trace in the same 



