12 PIKE AND OTHER COARSE FISH. 



I find a great convenience in having my jack-rods (as well 

 as my fly-rods) furnished with several tops of different lengths 

 the more the better. By this means one rod will, at a pinch, 

 often answer for several purposes, and the necessity of carrying 

 about a large stock of rods on the off chance of some other 

 fishing than that counted on turning up, will often be avoided. 

 For instance, the 'composite spinning-rod' above described 

 answers with a somewhat longer top exceedingly well for ' pater- 

 nostering,' or for minnow-spinning for trout, for barbelling, 

 worm-fishing for salmon, and, indeed, for any purpose (except 

 fly-fishing) where strength is a more important point than length, 

 or than extreme lightness. When driven into a corner I hare 

 even, and not unsuccessfully, used it for casting the fly, and 

 I calculate roughly that if the number of salmon I have caught 

 with it with minnow, fly, or worm (in the manner described in 

 the last volume), were laid head and tail, they would put a girdle 

 round Trafalgar Square. 



The length of this rod is twelve feet, and for my own part 

 I never care about fishing with a longer one. Many spinners, 

 however, patronise a rod of more ample proportions, and 

 indeed it is evident that a rod which would be the perfection 

 of length for a man of five feet nine or ten, would not do 

 justice to the physical capabilities of a trailer of six feet three, 

 to say nothing of the well-known Irish giant of jack-fishing 

 celebrity, the staff of whose rod might be (and is for aught I 

 know) like a weaver's beam. There is a record of a very small 

 troller with a very big rod whose fate, if it may not serve 



To point a moral or adorn a tale, 



yet carries with it a caution to reflecting pike- fishers. At the 

 first cast his heavy rod overbalanced his light body, and lie 

 tumbled out of the punt, below New Lock Weir, and was 

 drowned. 



One general rule may, I think, be laid down with regard to 

 tops : the larger and heavier the baits used the shorter should 

 be the top joint. 



