LIVE-BAITING. 161 



BRANDY AND PIKE BAITS. 



Sir, If, through the medium of your esteemed Fishing Gazette 

 I may be allowed to thank Mr. W. O. Chambers for his splendid 

 hint as to brandy being administered to bait before being used 

 for pike fishing, I shall feel much obliged to you ; and, thanking 

 Mr. Chambers, beg leave to state, at the same time, how I went 

 to work and with what result. 



I started last Thursday week, about I o'clock, in search of my 

 favourite sport, and reaching the spot where I intended to com- 

 mence business, I took from my bait-can a nice bait, and gave it 

 two or three drops of brandy, which seemed to have a remarkable 

 effect on its nerves, and made it very lively whilst out of the water ; 

 but in this case I had no opportunity of seeing what the after- 

 effects were, for, as soon as I threw it into the water, it was instan- 

 taneously taken by a nice pike of 6| Ibs., which I landed successfully. 

 No. 2 bait was also treated with a drop or two of something warm, 

 and was thrown in ; this time I had more chance to see how he 

 worked. By Jove ! sir, he went about like a small steam-engine 

 under water, backwards and forwards, round and round with amaz- 

 ing rapidity for about ten minutes, then under went my float, and 

 I soon landed another nice fish of 5 Ibs. No. 3 bait now coming 

 on the scene was treated in like manner to his companions, and 

 worked with even more vigour than No. 2 had done. He was 

 allowed to swim about for about fifteen minutes, and away went my 

 float again ; this fellow, however, I am sorry to say, got me hung 

 up in the roots of a tree, so I lost him (for the present). No. 4 bait 

 came next, and he also had some grog (cold), and was allowed only 

 a few minutes to enjoy himself, and a 3-lb. fish was the result of 

 that bait. No. 5 bait, and the last I had, after taking a parting 

 drink, was soon swimming about well, and seemed to be in a great 

 state of excitement, which proved fatal to him, as he was very soon 

 attacked by a hungry-looking fish, measuring 2 ft. 7 in., and 

 weighing 7^ Ibs. ; this fellow gave me some capital sport, and after 

 rather more than half an hour's good play he was lying with the 

 other finny tribe of his own species on the grass. 



Thus, four pike I caught in about two hours, 7^ Ibs., 6J Ibs., 5 Ibs., 

 and 3 Ibs., making a total of 22 Ibs., which is rather an extraordinary 

 take in these waters, and I firmly believe the greater part of my suc- 

 cess was due to following Mr. W. O. Chambers' valuable hint in 

 your Gazette, Oct. 25th viz., ' Give your bait a little brandy before 



II. M 



