36 THE ART OF FISHING. 



to the prowling fresh-water wolf (as the pike is 

 aptly called) to prevail upon him to seize his prey. 

 This I know from experience. A pike may be as 

 much directed or drawn towards the bait by the 

 sense of smelling as by that of seeing. This 

 seems to account for your not often having sport 

 with an artificial bait, made, as we see them at 

 the present day, to perfection ; and this reminds 

 me, by the way, that should you ever be fishing 

 with an artificial bait, rub it every now and then 

 with a fresh killed dead fish : the deception pro- 

 bably becomes heightened, as you may thus 

 deceive your prey in two of his senses instead of 

 in one. 



I have said, as regards the trimmer, let it be 

 watched, or not left, but for a short time, that if 

 it be sprung, you may at once or very soon release 

 by death any suffering the captured fish may be 

 exposed to. Following this plan, and if the hooks 

 be blunted as recommended in trolling, and the 

 fish lifted out of the water with a landing net or 

 by your hands, there will be no more suffering 

 than in the way described above. However, I am 

 no friend to trimmers, nor would allow more than 

 one, or two, or three, to be used at a time : you 

 could watch one, or go back to it now and then 

 when trolling ; whereas, if several be set, your 



