SPINNING. 73 



mode of fishing as poaching ; but though akin to 

 it, I cannot admit it to be so, though it may be 

 neither very artistic nor very exciting. Pike are 

 such ravenous, gluttonous brutes, that all sentimen- 

 tality is out of place with regard to them ; and 

 they are so prolific, and the larger ones so wary, 

 that no possible harm can accrue from any mode 

 of rod-fishing however destructive. Besides, the 

 hooks are not large, and are not bolted like a dead- 

 gorge ; a fish has a fair chance of making a good 

 fight for his life, and he generally makes it. Live- 

 bait-fishing should always be carried on in the 

 immediate vicinity of weeds : in the open water, 

 spinning will of course be practised, between 

 which and trolling live-bait-fishing may be con- 

 sidered as intermediate. 



SPINNING. 



Spinning is certainly the most scientific, the most 

 artistic, and, on the whole, the most killing mode 

 of fishing for pike ; it may also be fairly called the 

 most sportsman-like. Trimmering depends little 

 upon personal skill or experience ; live-bait-fishing 

 is but little above it ; and trolling though I am 

 loath to say anything in dispraise of it, seeing that 

 it is an art thought worthy of culture by a large 

 proportion of Thames fishermen strikes me as 



