TROLLING IN WINTER. 193 



finger into its eyes, which is the safest hold with 

 the hand. When you have hooked a jack or pike, 

 and played him till he is quite exhausted, and 

 are drawing him ashore, make it a rule to float 

 him on his side, and keep the head a little raised 

 above the surface of the water, that the nose or 

 gills may not hang to or catch hold of weeds, &c., 

 while you are thus engaged bringing your prize to 

 the shore ; for sometimes you cannot avoid drawing 

 it over or among weeds ; and we have seen a pike 

 touch and get entangled in this way, and, before 

 it could be disentangled, it recovered from its ex- 

 haustion or stupor, and occasioned much trouble 

 and hazard before it could be again subdued. 



I agree with Mr. Elaine in thinking that the 

 seasons for trolling are so well laid down by Mr, 

 Nobbs, the father of trolling, that they may be 

 transcribed without alteration. He says, " Though 

 the depth of winter cannot be recommended for 

 angling, yet there are some days in December and 

 January that a man may pick out to stand two or 

 three hours by the river side, but the weather 

 must be open and temperate. The great fish will 

 be soonest enticed with the bait at that time of 

 the year, because they lie deep, and are not so 

 careful of their own preservation. There is ano- 

 ther great advantage for the winter troller; the 

 weeds are then down and rotten, which are a great 

 hindrance, both against throwing the bait, and in 

 o 



