1 40 THE PIKE 



which, if the tackle is so mounted that the pull is on 

 the hooks and not on the spike (and how this is done 

 is illustrated both in Francis Francis's 'Book on 

 Angling ' and my ' Book of the All-round Angler '), 

 keep their position, and no transverse spikes or 

 similar arrangements are required. 



The old-fashioned pike rod was a very clumsy 

 and heavy instrument. It was almost invariably made 

 of solid wood and approximated in girth, length and 

 weight to a hop-pole. I am inclined to think that 

 the modern tendency is to run too much to the other 

 extreme. Dainty little striplings are sold under the 

 name of pike rods which would be quite useless to 

 hold a really big and powerful fish out of the weeds. 

 There are now, sad to relate, many waters in which 

 there are no big pike, and for such waters a light rod 

 is, of course, suitable. But for pike fishing generally I 

 do not think the rod should be less than 1 1 ft. 6 in. 

 in length, and should certainly be powerful and stiff 

 rather than lissom. As to the material of which it is 

 composed, the angler has his choice of hickory, 

 greenheart, whole cane, built-up cane, and composite 

 rods. The most popular rod of all is one of East 

 India cane with a greenheart top, and I have seen 

 an excellent rod made with a deal butt, whole-cane 

 middle-joint, and greenheart top. Split-cane rods 



