STRIKING SEASON. 7 I 



who may feel inclined to try them. They are much 

 to be preferred to the common brass reel, especially 

 in fishing from a boat, they avoid the noise, and 

 much of the trouble of winding up, and the line 

 never clinks. These are all great advantages in 

 trolling. 



When a pike has come at a bait, a moment's 

 pause should take place, and he should be then 

 gently struck to the right or left as his supposed 

 position may be. If the troller strikes when the 

 mouth of the fish is directly towards him, he is apt 

 to pull the bait out of his mouth. 



When a pike is hooked, he should be kept as 

 much as possible near the surface of the water to 

 prevent his getting into weeds, which add so much 

 to the stress on the line. If he is a weighty fish, 

 it will be necessary to allow time for three or four 

 violent struggles which he will make, but in general it 

 is as well to land him as soon as possible. What is 

 said about playing him till he is tired is a waste of 

 time. I am always for securing a fish as quickly 

 as may be. 



The best trolling I have had has generally been 

 from the 1st of November to the 1st of March. 

 The weeds are then down and rotten, and pike 

 see the bait readily. The weather however for 

 fishing at this season of the year should be mo- 

 derately fine, with a mild wind, and the water in 

 tune, as an old angler calls it. I have never had 



