76 THE PIKE 



is something of an instinct to recognise the haunts 

 where the pike will be stationed to-day or to-morrow. 

 He is a roamer, but in such a reach as we are now 

 supposing the safe plan is to spin the water systema- 

 tically throughout. You proceed down stream, making 

 your early casts at short distances, increasing them by 

 degrees to from twenty to thirty yards. Let the bait 

 alight somewhat down stream, so that the current may 

 at once assist you in producing that one thing needful 

 in this business namely, a regular spin, sometimes 

 straight, sometimes wobbling, of whatever lure you 

 may have selected for the conditions of the day. 



The sedges and flags, which take the place of the 

 tall reeds and bullrushes of the lakes, are an agree- 

 able and useful boundary between water and field. 

 Whether you cast from the Nottingham winch, and 

 are therefore not troubled by inconvenient growths at 

 your feet, or whether, taking advantage of the short 

 sward upon which you walk, you coil your line at 

 your feet, you are kept in a stimulating state of 

 exercise, and there is the added advantage of fishing 

 over a quantity of water during the day. Many 

 fishing men have curious fads as to clothes and 

 equipment ; but if the pike fisher takes care to keep 

 himself dry and to protect himself with real waterproof 

 boots, he need not concern himself much about 



