I 4 3 THE PIKE. 



worthy of a sportsman, and that the skilful artist 

 will disdain to have a trimmer in his possession. 

 Mr. Pennell says trimmering ought to be the abomi- 

 nation of all pike-fishers ; and he is furthermore of 

 the opinion, which all true sportsmen will thoroughly 

 endorse, that those anglers who aspire to become 

 adepts in trimmer-fishing should procure a good 

 supply of old bottles, rusty hooks, and clothes-line, 

 and the assistance of the most notorious poacher 

 and blockhead in the neighbourhood ; and the 

 chances are that the angler will find himself exactly 

 fitted to his sport, both in tackle and companionship, 

 without violating the bond of like to like. 



An important factor with regard to pike-fishing, 

 is the fence months, during which it is illegal to 

 catch those fish. Previous to the Mundella Fresh- 

 water Fisheries Bill of 1879 being passed and 

 becoming the law, pike and other so-called "coarse 

 fish" might be captured all the year round ; and 

 I believe they may be in the Norfolk waters even 

 now. However, the Bill as passed was a move in 

 the right direction ; fish were in some measure pro- 

 tected and the long-suffering coarse-fish anglers were 

 thankful for small mercies. Yet the Mundella Bill 

 was for many reasons a mistake, being full of 

 errors as to the months and time during which 

 some fish were fenced. For instance, in February 

 pike are gravid with spawn, and " shed " in March, 

 or, in late seasons, the first or second weeks of 

 April ; while perch spawn in May ; carp, tench, 

 bream, and roach late in May or early June ; yet 

 all are "fenced" from March i5th to June i6th, 

 and many of the cyprinida have not recovered 

 condition until August. The Mundella Act wants 

 amending, and it should be made illegal to capture 



