NORFOLK BROAD AND RIVER FISHING. 359 



Even in the winter-time the pike ' draw out ' of the river 

 into quiet and secluded dykes, and in these places more sports- 

 manlike methods are followed. Just below Norwich there is a 

 good-sized private dyke which is fished regularly about once 

 a week. A dozen fish may be taken out in a short time, but 

 after a few days' rest these places are supplied from the river, 

 and the dyke is again worth fishing. On the North River, also, 

 and its tributaries there are many spots, such as the confluence 

 of the Thurne with the Bure, where there are always pike, and 

 where you may fish all day with live-bait with as much profit as 

 rowing about from place to place trailing. 



Pike-fishing on the Broads is carried on differently. Live- 

 baiting is most in vogue, and it is considered essential to take 

 the bait from a different water to that in which you fish. Every 

 endeavour is made to get dace, but these are not so easily 

 procurable as roach. As two or three fishermen go together a 

 goodly number of bait are necessary, and two and three score 

 are taken, the price of the bait being one shilling a score, and 

 they are procurable at many places in Norwich, where men 

 make a regular trade of catching them. The rods and lines 

 used are according to individual taste, but the reels are 

 almost always Nottingham wood-reels, chosen rather because 

 they wind up quickly than because casting is often done 

 from the reel. If provided with a check to be applied when 

 necessary it is not found that any difficulty arises from ' over- 

 running.' 



The usual plan is to moor about fifty yards from the reeds 

 and cast towards them, and as each person has two rods a 

 pretty good extent of water is covered all round. Heavy 

 baits are used, and very long casts are made. After a cast 

 with one rod the other line is drawn slowly in and recast, and 

 so on alternately. If the spot is unproductive, another is chosen, 

 and so on, working round the broad near to the reeds. Pike 

 in these waters seem to rove about when on the feed, going con- 

 siderable distances, and it frequently happens that the boat is 

 never moved from one spot, the pike themselves coming within 



