78 ENGLISH LAKE DISTRICT FISHERIES 



Although the pike cannot be denominated a 

 " game " fish, it is certainly a " sporting " fish ; and 

 on Windermere it probably provides sport 

 for a greater number of anglers than all 

 other kinds of fish (save perch) together. 

 Pike in Windermere are exceedingly abundant 

 far too much so, in fact, whether one looks 

 at it from the standpoint of the pike fisher or the 

 trout angler. This over-abundance, together with 

 the low temperature of the water, has probably 

 something to do with their small size ; for the 

 Windermere pike compare unfavourably in size 

 (although not in quality) with those of many 

 southern waters, with such conditions, for instance, 

 as are found in the Norfolk Broads district. Al- 

 though pike up to 22 Ibs. have been taken by 

 trolling (a pike of 29^ Ibs. has been taken in a 

 net), it must be confessed that the great majority 

 of fish taken by pike fishers would hardly be con- 

 sidered " takeable " fish in southern waters. There 

 are, however, no handsomer fish than those of 

 Windermere, and one enthusiast compares them 

 to the Muskalonge of the Canadian lakes. They 

 are also strong fish and good fighters. Winder- 

 mere being within what is primarily a salmon and 

 trout fishery district, the pike fisher has this con- 

 siderable advantage that he can follow his sport 

 the year through. In other words, Esox lucius is 

 accounted vermin, and has no protection whatever, 

 not even in the spawning season. It is then, in 

 fact, that the war of extermination is most 

 strongly waged, and as many as 5,000 Ibs. of pike 

 are destroyed in a season. 



Trolling from a boat with two rods is the method 

 most commonly adopted on Windermere in pike- 



