130 PIKE AND OTHER COARSE FISH. 



Baily says : 



Never go pike-fishing when it freezes sharp. . . . Although 

 some anglers say that pike will bite well in such a state of weather, 

 I can assure you they are very much mistaken. In January and 

 February, when the weather is open and a little sunshiny, and the 

 water clear, with a gentle breeze blowing, pike will bite -well. A 

 calm still day is bad for pike-fishing at any time of the year, but 

 particularly in summer when the weather is hot, but they may be 

 taken on such days in the morning and evening. A good rough 

 wind will keep them alive in the roughest weather. As a general 

 rule, however, you can take great store of pike in spring, summer, 

 autumn, and winter, if the water is clear and rippled by a gentle 

 breeze and the day cloudy. 



Probably the real truth is that a good breeze from what- 

 ever quarter it may blow is favourable for jack-fishing, and 

 particularly for spinning, whilst with regard to water the only 

 rule which can be considered to have any general significance 

 is that a full fresh stream is usually preferable to a water that 

 is low and bright. 



As regards the depth at which the spinning-bait should be 

 worked, that depends entirely upon the state of the water with 

 reference to weeds and other circumstances. It will be generally 

 found, however, that in hot weather the fish lie near the surface, 

 and in cold weather near the bottom, so that the bait should be 

 spun ' shallow ' or ' deep ' accordingly. 



In 'leading' the trace for the purpose of regulating the 

 depth, it should always be borne in mind that to sink a large 

 bait to a given depth requires a heavier lead than is necessary 

 in sinking a smaller bait. Thus, if a half-ounce lead will sink an 

 ounce bait to the depth of one foot, a lead of an ounce in weight 

 would be required to sink a two-ounce bait to the same point. 

 This is owing to the fact of the bait being as nearly as may 

 be of the same weight as the water. It has been proved that in 

 ordinary river water a fresh killed fish of 19 Ibs. weighed i.{ Ibs. 

 only. The tendency of the bait being to remain on the surface of 

 the water where it is thrown, it is obvious that the larger the 

 bait the heavier must be the weight to carry it down to the same 



