8 THE PIKE. 



in stews and lakes where there is plenty of food, 

 such as young carp, roach, bream and other fish, they 

 increase rapidly in weight and size. H. C. Pennell 

 one of the best living authorities, says, " The rate 

 of growth of pike has been by different authors 

 variously estimated at from I to 5 Ibs. a year ; but 

 these estimates do not generally appear to be 

 based on any very reliable grounds, still less upon 

 actual experiment," &c. ; "and experience leads me 

 to believe that the growth-rate is susceptible of 

 very great variation, depending upon the nature of 

 the water and the amount of food supplied to the 

 fish ; but that in the open waters at least in 

 England it seldom averages more than i Ib. a 

 year during the first two years, and from i to 

 2 Ibs. a year afterwards, decreasing again, after 

 eight or nine years, to about the original ratio," &c. 

 " On one point I have fully convinced myself, viz., 

 that during the first year the maximum growth in 

 open waters does not much exceed half a pound. 

 The grounds of this conclusion are as follow : 

 Pike spawn in March or April ; in June, when 

 pike-fishing commences, I have not unfrequently 

 taken, and seen taken, with the net, small jack of 

 about an ounce, or a little more, in weight ; in 

 September, again, I have constantly taken them 

 of three or four ounces with a minnow ; and in 

 January and February, specimens of from five to 

 seven ounces ; whilst I have never within my 

 memory caught the smaller-sized fish at the later 

 periods, or vice versa ; thus pointing clearly to the 

 inference that at these seasons there were young 

 jack of those respective sizes, and none others in 

 other words, that the different sizes represented 

 the different stages of growth. These I believe to 



