I 9 6 THE PIKE 



The actions of the pike when attacking a shoal of 

 roach or dace are generally known, but its methods 

 of procedure when the wily trout is the object of its 

 onslaught can rarely be more than surmised. 



In the case of the coarse fish, the pike, meta- 

 phorically speaking, sets up its bristles and makes a 

 sudden dash among them as they fly together for 

 mutual protection. In their panic-stricken state the 

 shoal is speedily scattered in every direction by the 

 violence of the assault, and amid this commotion the 

 pike seizes its victim and promptly withdraws to its 

 lair to pouch it. The trout, on the other hand, is 

 solitary in its habits, and, in the event of danger, 

 usually darts off to some place of concealment from 

 which its foe cannot drive it. The rapidity with 

 which its flight is effected, and the minute nooks and 

 corners into which a trout can squeeze itself, should 

 facilitate its chances of escape unless the pursuing 

 pike shows unwonted energy and activity. 



The numbers of coarse fish in a river seem to 

 vary according to the stock of pike ; thus when 

 the pike are increasing the coarse fish diminish, 

 and vice versa. The accuracy of this statement 

 is amply corroborated by some statistics which 

 Mr. H. Collins, the Hon. Sec. of the Wilton Fly 

 Fishing Club, has kindly given me. The club rents 



