THE PIKE. 143 



kind. " This hurried and unsportsman-like way of 

 taking fish," it is observed in the Trotter's Guide, "can 

 only please those who value the game more than 

 the sport afforded by killing a jack or pike with 

 tackle which gives the fish a chance of escaping, 

 and excites the angler's skill and patience, mixed 

 with a certain pleasing anxiety, and the reward 

 of his hopes. Neither has the snap-fisher so good 

 a chance of success, unless he angles in a pond or 

 piece of water where the jack or pike are very 

 numerous or half starved, and will hazard their 

 lives for almost any thing that comes in their way. 

 But in rivers where they are well fed, worth killing, 

 and rather scarce, the coarse snap-tackle, large 

 hooks, &c. generally alarm them. On the whole, 

 I think it is two to one against the snap in most 

 rivers ; and if there are many weeds in the water, 

 the large hooks of the snap, by standing rank, are 

 continually getting foul, damaging the bait, and 

 causing much trouble and loss of time.' 1 



Pike sometimes rise at an artificial fly, especially 

 in dark, windy days. The fly ought to be dressed 

 upon a double hook, and composed of very gaudy 

 materials. The head is formed of a little fur, some 

 gold twist, and (if the angler's taste inclines that 

 way, for it is probably a matter of indifference to 

 the fish) two small black or blue beads for eyes- 

 The body is framed rough, full, and round, the 

 wings not parted, but made to stand upright on the 

 back, with some small feathers continued down the 

 back to the end of the tail, so that when finished 

 they may exceed the length of the hook. The 

 whole should be about the bulk of a wren. 



