PIKE FISHING. 79 



exactly double, when the substance is an animated body 

 in water ; thus, if a gut line will just raise three pounds 

 from the dead level of the ground, it will hold a fish of 

 six pounds in water, and this difference is still greater 

 when a pliable rod is the sustaining medium. It is 

 therefore the greatest folly to employ needlessly powerful 

 tackle even for pike. 



We, nevertheless, advise the use of tackle needful for 

 the largest fish of the species you may be angling for, 

 that are known to be present in the length fished. To 

 omit so doing would be to remove all prospects of landing 

 a good fish ; but exaggeration is rife in these matters, 

 and the popular idea is, that the most powerful tackle is 

 essential for successful pike-fishing, of whatever nature 

 it may be. But to return, the movements of the roving 

 bait must be carefully observed where practicable ; and 

 if, owing to the state of the water, this is not possible, 

 the rodster must follow the movements of the bait by the 

 feel conveyed by the line, and care must be taken not to 

 distress the bait, or it will soon be exhausted. When a 

 fish takes the bait, a minute or two should be allowed 

 him to gorge it. In some localities the custom is to use 

 a single gimp hook, which is attached to the upper lip of 

 the bait ; this, however, causes it to move in an unnatural 

 way, with the tail uppermost, and cannot be said to equal 

 the method previously described. 



We now come to fly-fishing for pike. That these fish 

 would take a natural fly is even less probable than in the 

 case of salmon. A jack will come with evident gusto at 

 a bird, just as he would at a rat, therefore it is essential 

 that the artificial should be of very unusual proportions. 

 Discarded salmon flies, of large size, render good account 

 amongst pike; a regular pike-fly, generally speaking, is a 

 clumsy combination of peacock eye or sword feathers, 

 cock pheasant's hackles, gaudy Berlin wool or worsted, 

 gilt or silver tinsel, and glass beads; the peacock doing 



