192 THE PIKE 



vented from entering the lower parts of the water 

 by building a dam across the river ; but if the work 

 was ever carried out, I have no information as to 

 the results. This method of fencing was considered 

 a practical way out of the difficulty, because pike are 

 known to be much averse to descending a fall. 

 Fencing against pike is not looked upon with much 

 favour by trout preservers, and there is seldom any 

 need for it when all the principal parties interested 

 combine to eradicate the pest by persistent netting 

 and other well-known means. 



There is yet another way by which pike are said to be 

 introduced to trout waters. It has often been suggested 

 that water fowl may be a medium by which spawn 

 is occasionally transported from one place to another. 

 I mentioned the matter to a well-known pisciculturist 

 not long since, and he quite agreed that it was 

 extremely likely that such roving birds as ducks, for 

 instance, might carry sticky spawn about their bodies 

 and legs, and in that way deposit it in strange waters. 

 Herons have been known to pouch several spawning 

 fish at one place and disgorge them after flying some dis- 

 tance. The last swallowed passenger, if a pike, would 

 probably be alive after quite a. long trip through the 

 air. The halo of mystery which enveloped the minds 

 of ancient observers (see c The Compleat Angler, ' 



