198 PIKR. 



cheese. In fact, with proper caution and conceal- 

 ment, for that is the great secret in chub fishing, 

 nothing seems to come amiss to him. 



I must not omit to mention, that wherever a 

 a stream runs into a pond or river through an arch- 

 way, chub will generally be found to harbour under 

 it, and they may be taken by dibbing in the man- 

 ner described, with a grass-hopper or a cockchafer. 

 These fish will grow to a large size, and some are 

 said to have been taken weighing from seven to 

 fin-lit pounds each. 



The pike to be found in the rivers in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Oxford are in general of a small size, 

 at least I never had the good fortune to take a 

 large one, or to meet with any one who had. Some 

 good sport may however be had by spinning with 

 a gudgeon or dace in the manner which has been 

 elsewhere described. Deep holes under banks are 

 the best places to try for them, especially in cold 

 weather. The edges of bull-rushes, water-lillies 

 and of any son of water-weed, are also favourite 

 haunts of the pike, for he can there lurk for his 

 prey amidst the shade and quiet of the situation. 



A good sized river pike will afford the angler 

 excellent sport, and it is, I think, a gamer fish 

 than one of the same size, met with in ponds. In 

 Browne's Britannia's Pastorals a sketch is given 

 of an angler having hooked a pike and of the sport 

 it gave him. 



