THE PIKE. 113 



Pike are not confined to fish or spinning baits, for I know- 

 that sometimes they will take a worm. A friend once took 

 four pike about four pounds each with a worm on fine roach 

 tackle out of one hole in about an hour, he hooked the lot 

 in the corner of the mouth, or else perhaps they would have 

 cut the gut and escaped. I also have taken an odd one or 

 two with the worm, and I have lost some, owing to the fish 

 severing the gut with their teeth. Artificial baits for pike 

 are so numerous and various in design, that to give a descrip- 

 tion of them would require a very long chapter. The old- 

 fashioned spoon bait is still used a great deal, and kills fish ; 

 but improvements have been brought out these last few years 

 that we now very seldom see the old spoon bait in the hands 

 of a scientific pike fisher. First and foremost among the 

 artificial pike bait makers stands Mr. Gregory of Birmingham ; 

 his baits are splendid articles and beautifully finished. I 

 have tried the "Colorado," the ''Clipper," the "AVindsor 

 Bee," and the " Fishing Gazette Spoon." These are all grand 

 baits, and will spin well in dead water, and where there is a 

 difficulty in procuring fish baits, they are very good substi- 

 tutes. I can most cordially recommend any of those baits to 

 the angler. Another sweet little bait Mr. Gregory has just 

 brought out is called the " Wheeldon." It is a lot smaller 

 than the others, and for small pike, or waters that contain no 

 fish heavier than four pounds, it will be found just the 

 thing ; it looks to me to be admirably suited for perch spin- 

 ning. If perch are inclined for running at your spinning bait, 

 one of these will be just the lure for them. There are also 

 " Phantoms," " Piano convex baits," " Archimedean min- 

 nows," and artificial fish in every shape, style, and size, which, 

 as I said before, would take a very long chapter to describe ; 

 but this is already drawn out to a greater length than I had 

 intended, and so I must refer the reader to the tackle makers. 

 The baits mentioned above are plenty good enough for me, 



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