98 BOTTOM FISHING IN THE NOTTINGHAM STYLE. 



CHAPTER VI. 



THE PIKE. 



As this little book more particularly relates to "Bottom 

 Fishing in the JNottingham style," I ought strictly, perhaps, 

 not to mention the pike, but as there are plenty of bottom 

 fishers who occasionally indulge in a little pike fishing, per- 

 haps a few hints to the tyro as to what a pike is like, and 

 how to catch him, will not be unacceptable. The pike is a 

 member of the Esocidse family, and his scientific name is 

 Esox lucius. He is more frequently called the "Jack" 

 by anglers nowadays, though formerly he was only called 

 Jack when he was under about four pounds, and " pike " 

 when over that weight. The fish has also been termed " the 

 freshwater shark," and certainly he deserves the name, for in 

 very truth, he is a tyrant of the water. When hungry, the 

 voracity of this fish is very great, few things seeming to come 

 amiss to him. Hundreds of anecdotes are told about how he 

 will seize anything from a flat leaden plumb, to the hand of 

 a child. Among such anecdotes are references to his seizing 

 a swan's head and neck, a mule's lip, a Polish damsel's foot, 

 tender kittens and puppies, &c., &c. I have seen a pike come 

 up with a dash, and snap at a water wag- tail that has stood on 

 the edge of the water weeds ; and once I had hooked a nice 

 roach, and was getting it towards me, when, with a sudden 

 rush, a large pike seized the roach, and the next instant both 

 were gone. Pike wiU sometimes dash at a highly coloured 



