AND HOW I HAVE CAUGHJ MY FISH 343 



not to require food for several days, during which 

 time it will lie up in its weedy haunt in a semi- 

 torpid state quite reluctant to move tail or fin. 



From the middle of April to the second week in 

 May these fish are gathered together in the most 

 favourable spots beds of rushes if there are any 

 to propagate their species. After that they again 

 disperse to their old haunts and habits until the 

 Winter's floods destroy their homes and they have 

 to seek for the rest they so much covet, when not 

 on the prowl, in back eddies, at the tail of islands, 

 under banks that have overhanging branches that 

 break the river's rush ; indeed, behind any and 

 every cover they can find, as they are too lazily 

 inclined to stem the stream. 



To weedy ponds, or deep lakes, where there are 

 huge fish you desire to catch, you should take a 

 can of the biggest dace procurable and use them 

 alive, with a lead to sink them to two thirds of 

 the depth, and a float to keep them from going 

 deeper. 



The most sportsmanlike and pleasurable way to 

 catch this fish, in the Thames, is by spinning, and 

 should you be fortunate enough to find the water 

 clear and the weeds all gone on some mid-winter's 

 day, when the wind is softening after a night's hard 

 frost and there is a ripple on the water, you will 

 ever after that spin for pike. 



When these fish are on the feed nothing puts 

 them off. I have hooked the same fish or, rather, 



