THE PIKE. 75 



within reach, pitch it a yard or two further out, and so on 

 till you have tested thoroughly all the water within your 

 reach. When you get a bite you will feel a sudden 

 snatch drop the line and the point of the rod instantly,, 

 and let the fish do what he pleases and go where he likes 

 with the bait, giving out line freely to him, for if -you 

 check him he will probably spit out the bait and you will 

 lose your run. When the fish has taken the bait he will 

 require from seven to eight minutes to swallow or pouch 

 it, and you must let him have that space of time accord- 

 ingly as you think him large or small, as the large one 

 will probably get your bait down sooner than a small one, 

 but you must beware of striking too soon ; one thing is 

 sure, that if you do not at first you will soon learn to by 

 losing your fish. When the time is up raise your rod 

 point* smartly and hold on as well as you can, as being 

 probably in the midst of a lot of weeds the less line you 

 give the better. 



Sometimes when a fish takes he will not go two yards 

 from the spot, but will lie still and pouch at his ease ; 

 sometimes, however, he will go away twenty yards or 

 more, and in the midst of pouching even will move off 

 again, hauling your line through masses of weeds, which 

 is not pleasant, but has to be endured. Then you must 

 do your best not to check him, nor if you can help it to 

 get entangled in the weeds. No advice can be given on 

 this head. You must just do the best you can, and be 

 guided by circumstances. If after the fish has been only 

 five or six minutes pouching he begins to move off, he has 

 probably already swallowed the bait and you may chance 

 striking him if you like to risk it, and often will land your 

 fish ; but now and then you will lose him, which, when he 

 moves like that, you may aiblins do whether you strike or 



