72 ANGLING. 



showing that they have had it in their mouths. " What 

 are you to do in such a case ? " Well, as I couldn't tell 

 then, I can't tell now ; if a twenty-five or thirty pound pike 

 will go into weed you may break your rod over him, or your 

 line, or both ; but you won't prevent him. In fact, there 

 is no " statute in that case made or provided," and as the 

 Yankees say, "you must just do your darndest, I 

 calc'late ; " whatever that may be. 



Be careful in landing your fish; get him in the net 

 as soon as you can, but do it carefully and cleanly, 

 no bungling or dashing, but a big steady scoop and 

 a lift up, and take care he does not jump out or tumble 

 out and leave the hooks in the net. I had that happen 

 once to an eight-pound fish, and my poor old friend 

 Frank Matthews, the actor, caught the same fish a 

 quarter of an hour after, and his head is grinning at me 

 now from the opposite wall in menioriam, and that was 

 thirty-two years ago. Bear me! My phiz has altered more 

 than yours, I expect, old acquaintance, for I can't get 

 Coopered* like you were. 



When you land your fish, unless you want to put 

 him in the well or keep him alive, knock him on the 

 head at once before he tangles your tackle into twenty 

 heaps in the net, or breaks it in his flounces. Then ex- 

 tract the hooks carefully, and mind your fingers. A pair 

 of stout tweezers and Rolfe's pike gag are useful here ; in 

 default of the latter, stick a bung in his mouth to keep it 

 safely open during the extraction. A disgorger (see 

 Plate 2, Fig. 5) to push out the hooks is also useful. Look 

 the tackle over very carefully to see that there are no breaks 



* Alluding to my old acquaintance, Mr. Cooper, the fish 

 staffer, who " set him up " now, alas ! gone from amongst us, 

 but succeeded worthily oy his son. F. F. 



