36 THE PIKE. 



young of which they feed upon) are much the 

 finest in flavour : Stoddart says, " as for the 

 ' Teviot pike,' I consider them at all times pre- 

 ferable to the general run of salmon captured 

 in that stream." In the Dorsetshire Frome, pike 

 consume salmon-smolts, and are delicious eating. 

 I once caught in that river a 19 Ib. pike with 

 a 3 Ib. grilse inside, so recently swallowed that 

 its scales were intact and brilliant digestion not 

 having commenced ; this pike and another about 

 the same size a friend had "kippered" for me 

 after the manner of Scotch salmon, and they were 

 almost as good eating when cut into thin slices, 

 and broiled as a relish for breakfast. Thames pike 

 are excellent, and the smelt-fatted pike of the 

 Medway are considered among the best in this 

 country. But cooking has a great deal to do with 

 the gastronomic qualities of pike ; and it is well 

 that those intended for the table should be gutted, 

 cleaned, and crimped as soon as possible after being 

 caught. For crimping, a fish exceeding 5 or 6 Ibs. 

 is best ; and it is done by stunning or killing the 

 pike by a blow or blows on the top of its head 

 just behind the eyes, and making several transverse 

 cuts, an inch or two apart, nearly as deep as the 

 backbone ; cut the gills under the throat, and hold 

 the fish in a cool spring or the running stream 

 until the bleeding ceases. Sir Humphry Davy 

 says that "crimping preserves the flesh hard and 

 crisp," and that " a fresh fish not crimped is tough." 

 Stoddart and other authorities consider a pike is 

 very much better eating when crimped, and 

 especially so if for boiling. 



The best way to cut up a pike is to take off 

 the Lead, cut down the back from shoulder to 



