SNAP-FISHING. 61 



after knocking him on the head, or bait another 

 hook ; the latter is decidedly preferable, as in 

 cutting out the gorge-hook you generally dis- 

 figure the fish, besides being a great loss of 

 time if the Jack are on the feed. 



CHAPTER X. 



SNAP-FISHING THE ROD, WINCH, LINE, AND TRACE 

 THE LIVE-BAIT SNAP, SPRING SNAP, DEAD 

 SNAR, ETC. 



SNAP-FISHING is usually practised at those 

 seasons when Pike do not feed with suffi- 

 cient eagerness to pouch the bait quickly ; 

 but the great advantage this style of fishing 

 possesses in the eyes of the true angler is 

 that it enables him to return to the water 

 all under-sized fish, which if taken with the 

 ordinary live-bait tackle, he would be obliged 

 to kill in consequence of their having pouched 

 the hook. Unfortunately a large majority of 

 fishermen seem to prefer quantity to quality, 

 and bag every fish taken, no matter how small, 

 regardless of the fact that by so doing they 

 are spoiling all future sport, both for them- 

 selves and others. 



The rod should be rather stiff, to enable 

 you to strike sharply ; the winch and line 



