LIVE-BAITING. 153 



' American Angler's Guide ' we find that ' in a pool near New- 

 port a pike was captured weighing 170 Ibs.' not a bad 'take' 

 that, even for a Yankee trolier. 



Not long ago I received from the late Dr. Genzik of Lintz, 

 who kindly furnished me with much interesting information 

 concerning the Continental pike, some facts in regard to the 

 size attained by these fish in Bavaria, the Tyrol, &c., which may 

 probably be new to many of my readers. He assures me that, 

 in the fish-markets of Vienna, Lintz, and Munich, pike are not 

 unfrequently exposed for sale of 80 Ibs. and 90 Ibs. weight and 

 upwards, 1 that at Obernenkirchen he himself saw a pike taken 

 out of a large tank or preserve, which, after being cleaned, 

 weighed 97 Ibs. and some ounces ; and that an officer of 

 Tyrolese Rifles informed him that whilst at Bregentz during 

 the autumn of 1862 he was present when a pike was caught 

 weighing upwards of 145 Ibs. 



Dr. Genzik also testifies in a letter written to me some time 

 ago that once when crossing the Gmunden Lake, he himself, 

 in company with Mr. Hepburn, captain of the steamer, saw, 

 not thirty yards from the boat, a pike jump high up into the 

 air three times running; he was 'surely 18 ft. long.' It was 

 close enough for him to see distinctly the ' large ribbons ' on 

 his sides. 



The age attainable by pike is another debated point, and as 

 I don't anticipate attaining to centenarian honours it is not 

 likely that I shall be personally in a position to corroborate or 

 contradict the statements of the orthodox on the subject. 



Your pitcher shall break on the musty shelf, 

 And mine by the dazzling stream, 



as poor Gordon, of bright, but short-lived, Australian fame, 



1 The fishermen on the Danube, near Strudel and Wirbel, have legends of 

 pike 15 and 29 feet long, which break through all their nets ; and at Traunkirchen, 

 on the Gmunden Water, there are still living some fishermen, who declare that 

 about twenty years ago, when dragging the lake, they enclosed a pike longer 

 than either of their boats, and that they began, as they expressed it, ' to say 

 their prayers,' thinking the enemy was on their nets ; the pike, however, with 

 one spring, jumped over the nearest boat and escaped. 



