io8 THE PIKE 



uncertain as to this, and must wait until the fish began 

 to move off again. This would be indicated in the 

 majority of cases by a trembling of the line and a 

 little tug which could easily be felt. Then it was the 

 habit of the fish, having pouched his bait, the line 

 all the time being perfectly free, to make another 

 move, and then, according to the canons, the 

 angler would winch up his line and slightly strike. 

 The merest twitch would be sufficient, for the soft 

 gullet is different from the armour plate of the 

 mouth with which the spinner has to reckon. There 

 was not much spirit left in a fish, however big it might 

 be, with these cruel barbs in its vitals. It fought its 

 best, but the fight was nothing to be compared to the 

 dash of a fish hooked in the mouth. Occasionally, 

 when the pike were not feeding keenly, the day 

 would consist of nothing but false runs that is to say, 

 pike after pike would strike the bait, take it away to 

 pouch it, and then reject it after all. 



It will be seen from this sketch that a day's troll- 

 ing was not a day of such exertion as is necessary 

 with the spinning rod. The angler would move at 

 his own pace, work his rod at leisure, fish all kinds 

 of curious places between weeds, and find new 

 manoeuvres perhaps with every fish. Sometimes the 

 pike would run under and between weeds ; hence the 



