138 PIKE AND OTHER COARSE FISH. 



Both lead and float, as to its lower part, should be painted 

 with some dark green or weed colour tint ; or, failing this, var- 

 nished with Brunswick black. The upper part of the float shoul^ 

 be painted black, as that colour shows better than any other ; 

 at twenty-five or thirty yards off in roughish water, a white or 

 green topped float is often very difficult to see, and the fisher- 

 man is, so to speak, kept making shots at a target without any 

 bull's eye. 



The trolling rod used for spinning will also answer perfectly 

 in every respect for live-bait fishing, using one of the shorter 

 tops already mentioned, page 12. 



In live-bait fishing with this tackle, a fish should be struck 

 the moment a ' run ' is perceived, that is, when the float goes 

 under water or moves away with greater rush and rapidity than 

 the bait itself could be supposed to exert. The stroke should 

 be a sharp one as recommended in spinning, and continued 

 until a violent tearing struggle is felt ; it will frequently happen 

 otherwise that whilst the troller thinks his pike is hooked, the 

 latter is merely holding on to the bait at his proper pleasure. 



LIVE-BAITS. 



The best live-bait, according to my experience, is either a 

 small dace or a very large gudgeon, that is, for clear waters, and 

 except where pike run unusually large. In the latter case, or 

 where waters are much discoloured, bigger baits with brighter 

 scaling will be found more effective, and there are some very 

 successful live-bait fishers in my experience who use nothing 

 but roach. 



I would impress again, however, upon the reader that with 

 every description of pike snap-tackle, whether spinning or live- 

 baiting, the larger the bait, the greater the chances against 

 hooking the fish, and this is a rule to which from necessity no 

 tackle can be excepted. Four or five ounces is about the 

 maximum weight which can be properly used on live-bait snap- 

 tackle with any reasonable certainty of hooking a fish. When 



