PIKE IN TROUT WATERS 207 



in passing the wire round the deadly spot, or meet 

 with the measure of success which he expected from 

 the apparent simplicity of the thing, a morning 

 with the pike wire provides a novel form of amuse- 

 ment. 



The pike wirer's movements must be stealthy, 

 and his actions deliberate. Having discovered a jack 

 in position, he should endeavour to place himself 

 opposite the quarry, and keep his eyes steadily fixed 

 on it as he quietly extends his bamboo rod, to which 

 the wire is attached, and lowers the noose slowly into 

 the water a short distance above the pike's nose. To 

 prevent any miscalculations which may be caused by 

 the refraction of light in the water, it is best to keep 

 the wire as near as possible to the bed of the river in 

 shallow places, and gradually pass it over the pike's 

 head until it encircles the middle of its body. A 

 sharp backward movement of the bamboo pole will 

 draw the noose tightly round the fish, and by a 

 steady swing it may be brought to the bank. 



There are times when the fish will not allow such 

 a liberty to be taken, but the pike wirer should not be 

 disconcerted by a first or second failure. It must often 

 happen that, after being driven from point to point 

 and continually bamboozled, a small fish will lie to 

 the wire. The largest pike I ever saw captured by 



