PRACTICAL LESSONS IN THE GENTLE CRAFT. 481 



that both jack and perch will follow the bait out from the 

 deeps, and take it quite close home ; in fact, within sight. 

 When a jack strikes the bait of which fact there is 

 usually little doubt on the angler's part, for it is plainly 

 perceptible to the touch strike him gently, yet still hard, 

 so as to fix the hooks well within his bony jaws, and, 

 having hooked your pike, it must then be very much a 

 matter of discretion and judgment how you handle him. 

 If you are fortunate enough to get hold of a really big fish, 

 remember that, although pike as a rule do not go with 

 the rattle and dash of a freshly-hooked salmon, or trout 

 even, nor have they the dogged pertinacity of a" barbel, 

 they have and particularly big fish an immense amount 

 of muscular strength, and no liberties must be taken with a 

 good one "just on." Keep a tight line on your prey; 

 keep him, if it is possible, as far away from the beds of 

 weed as you can, and at the earliest opportunity get his 

 head out of the water, and well up, giving him the benefit 

 of a " back wash," as the rowing men say, down his 

 capacious throat. Watch him keenly and warily, and give 

 him hand and reel instantaneously if he makes a determined 

 rush, taking care that no slack lies loosely about to get 

 entangled in coat buttons or your feet. When your fish 

 shows by his rolling, with his broad flat side to the surface, 

 that he is fairly settled, lead him to a convenient place 

 where the water shallows, and, bringing him to the side by 

 the aid of the reel, and not the hand, get him close in, and 

 gaff him with all speed. 



LIVE-BAITING, 



Under the head of live-baiting, the pike-fisher embraces 

 several varieties of angling, chief among them being the 

 VOL. III. H. 2 I 



