92 PIKE FISHING. 



therefore it is essential that the artificial should be of 

 very unusual proportions. Discarded salmon flies, of 

 large size, render good account amongst pike ; a re- 

 gular pike-fly, generally speaking, is a clumsy combi- 

 nation of peacock eye or sword feathers, cock 

 pheasant's hackles, gaudy Berlin wool or worsted, gilt 

 or silver tinsel, and glass beads ; the peacock doing 

 service for wings, pheasant for legs, beads for eyes, 

 and the remainder forming the body. 



The largest fish seem most partial to the fly; 

 whether it is that they are hunger-bitten, or whether 

 they rise in the spirit of wantonness, we cannot pre- 

 tend to say. From the position of the eyes, situated 

 as they are upon the top of the head, he naturally 

 sees more directly above than around. In the 

 northern lakes, pike are very often taken with the fly 

 wherever they abound, whenever they are in the 

 humour for rising, for like all other species, they have 

 their off and on terms, even when in season. 



In a work devoted solely to the more scientific 

 methods of taking fish, it may appear out of place to 

 refer to what are sometimes deemed repulsive styles 

 or systems. We would, however, crave the forbear- 

 ance of those of our readers whose sentiments may 

 savour of these, for a brief space, as we cannot omit a 

 few remarks upon frog-fishing for pike, which is held 

 so high in repute by veteran pike-fishers. The style 

 most in vogue is to work the frog as a live bait ; the 

 hook, which should be of special length, strength, and 

 size, should be passed through the bottom lip, and 

 under the stomach, the bend being then secured to 



