AND OF STILL WATERS. 33 



" game " throughout his whole existence ; fear 

 is to him unknown, he will attack anything or 

 any one ; even otters and men, his two most 

 redoubtable enemies, inspire him with no terror. 

 He is game to the last ; and even when landed 

 by his captor he rights on. Is it not recorded 

 by that immortal sportsman, Mr. Briggs, that a 

 pike not only bites, but " barks like a dog " ? 

 Bite he certainly does, and woe betide any 

 triumphant sportsman who is in too great a 

 hurry when disengaging the hooks from his 

 victim's mouth. The roles of captor and 

 captive will be momentarily reversed, and the 

 great canine teeth, the " serried pikes " of the 

 water-wolfs mouth, will go near to meeting in 

 his victim's hand. 



Courageous and intelligent in life, succulent 

 and savoury in death, what more can any fish 

 be expected to be ? And all pike-anglers will 

 agree that no sea-fishing, except, perhaps, 

 conger-catching, can be compared for excite- 

 ment to the half-hour following the first 

 " strike," when trolling or spinning for the 

 " solitary, melancholy, and bold " water- wolf. 



