THE UPPER RAPIDS. 131 



pike, though even for them the day was 

 anything but favourable. 



In each boat the stern-sheets had been 

 fitted with three sets of rings and sockets, 

 for the purpose of receiving the butts of the 

 rods. These were so arranged, that the 

 centre one, which was a short stiff lake 

 trolling-rod, not seven feet long, stood up- 

 right, while the other two projected laterally, 

 one from each of the boats' quarters. The 

 centre rod trailed, at the end of some thirty 

 yards of line, a pike-fly, an extraordinary 

 combination of every gaudy contrast of colour 

 that could be devised, somewhat about the 

 size of a sparrow. This was supposed to 

 fish for itself, while the other two, furnished 

 with litches or snap-hooks, and baited with 

 Jenkins or eels'-tails, were intended to be 

 taken up by the fishermen as the boat ap- 

 proached any likely clump of weeds or rushes, 

 and trolled into their recesses. This was 

 the theory, at least. But, as pike-fishing is 

 not a very exciting amusement, it generally 

 happened in practice, that the three rods 

 were fishing for themselves (which, to all 

 appearance, they did quite as well as any 

 one could have done it for them), while the 



