PIKE FISHING IN LAKES 49 



his brush nicely saved for the present, in the other 

 section of the wood. 



We spared little time for luncheon, and, mooring 

 in the deepest water, my friend tried a live bait, while 

 I cast around with the bright one-inch spoon. 

 Presently I was playing a well-hooked fish of 9 lb., 

 which I need not say was, without demur, knocked 

 on the head and placed in the basket with number 

 one. Both of us now sat steadily down to profit- 

 less live baiting. The familiar dallying with my 

 float began after a while, and I called attention to 

 the movement, remarking, as I. already had done 

 many times that day and the day before, ' how like 

 perch-bites these runs of pike are. 7 We had by this 

 time fallen out of the usual custom in live baiting for 

 pike, and, instead of striking when the fish had 

 gone off a yard or so, had acted upon the principle 

 of giving excessive time. For full five minutes the 

 float was kept barely under water, and scarcely any 

 line was taken out. There was no sense, nevertheless, 

 in letting the fish fool with the bait for ever, and I 

 hooked my fish, a noble perch of 3^ lb., which had 

 taken a fair-sized roach and was excellently hooked 

 in the upper lip. Within about an hour of dusk all 

 our live baits were gone, but we had upon the floor of 

 the punt some half-dozen battered roach corpses that 



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