102 ,]^OTTQM EI^HTNG IN THE NOTTINGHAM STYLE, 



out of a pool about nine yards deep, whicli had not been 

 fished for ages. The water was let off by means of a level, 

 and brought up to drain the works when this enormous pike 

 was found at the bottom ; he was dragged out by means of a 

 rope in the presence of hundreds of spectators, and was said 

 to have weighed upwards of one hundred and seventy pounds, 

 and was thought to be the biggest ever seen. Such is the 

 story, but whether it is correct or not, I cannot say ; it has, 

 however, been placed on record as a fact. Jack, as a rule, do 

 not run very large in the Trent, and it is only occasionally 

 that one of twenty pounds is taken, but there are some dis- 

 tricts where fish of that size or even a pound or two over are 

 taken. The occasions are nevertheless very rare, and a Trent 

 angler must be content if he gets one of that size during the 

 term of his natural life. A ten-pounder ought to content 

 him, a twelve-pounder make him happy, while one of fifteen 

 pounds or over ought to make his heart rejoice to such an 

 extent that he would call his friends and neighbours together 

 and give them a banquet in honour of the occasion. An 

 eight-pound fish is not to be despised, while one of six or 

 seven as a fish for the table, and a bit of sport for the angler, 

 especially out of a stream, is hardly to be equalled. It is 

 true the pike is not a very good fighter ; a ten-pound jack 

 being nothing like a five-pound barbel for pluck and dogged 

 resistance ; still, however, a five or six-pound jack on the light 

 tackle of a Trent spinner, in a stream, is not to be despised. 

 Two of the finest pike, I suppose, that have ever been taken 

 out of English waters by rod and line were taken a year or 

 two ago by Mr. Alfred Jardine. They weighed thirty-six 

 pounds each, or the two together seventy-two pounds. These 

 are grand fish in the estimation of all anglers who have seen 

 them, and are preserved, and were exhibited at the Norwich 

 Fisheries Exhibition. I believe they received a valuable 

 prize there as specimen fish. There must, however, be a 



