52 THE PIKE 



In fishing a water of this kind you have in a very 

 special degree to adapt yourself to all circumstances ; 

 and in remembrance of the recent clerical disturbance 

 the thing to do was to set up the lightest form of all 

 pike tackle viz. the paternoster, a salmon-gut trace 

 with a i-oz. lead at the end, and a single hook on gimp 

 depending from the trace, a foot or so from the sinker. 

 The bait for this should be small, and it was impera- 

 tive to creep along the extreme edge of the reeds, 

 avoiding splashes and making no fuss in dropping in 

 the bait. In no part was this water more than thirty 

 yards wide, so that hard casting was not required. 

 It was something on a day like this to wind up with 

 a dozen pike, and if they weighed but 60 Ib. total, 

 they were of very uniform pattern (5 Ib. average), 

 the one exception being an 8-pounder, which the 

 foolish lad who rowed the boat smote bodily off the 

 hook in netting. 



This is recalled as the most modest form of pike 

 angling, but it was as good as the best, because it was 

 the opportunity of wetting the line at the beginning 

 of the winter season. Every pike fisher will understand 

 what I mean. That first day is keenly appreciated. 

 There is something of sentiment, of course, in certain 

 incidents of even the most practical sportsman's 

 career. The hunting man fondly handling his 



