ON STRIKING 89 



the instant he is felt as he will have until he pouches. The 

 angler should never strike upwards over his own head if he 

 can avoid it, but sideways and downwards parallel with the 

 water as it were and for this reason : if he strikes up, the 

 hooks come into contact with the hard horny roof of the 

 pike's mouth, and this is one mass of teeth, into which it is 

 almost impossible to drive a hook deeply ; whereas, if he strikes 

 sideways, he has a better chance of getting hold of the softer 

 and more fleshy lower jaw. 



Mr. Pennell recommends striking twice, so as to be sure of 

 driving the hooks in. It is, however, quite possible to lose a 

 fish by striking twice the first strike sending the hook in, 

 and the second striking it out again. But there is this much 

 to be said in that case, viz. that the hold must be rather a 

 slight one, and that there would be every possibility of the 

 fish breaking from it whether or no ; whereas if the points 

 only without the barbs are buried in the pike's jaw the second 

 strike will certainly make assurance doubly sure by sending 

 the barbs home. Therefore I leave the angler to adopt which- 

 ever course he pleases. I never strike twice ; but then I am 

 bound to say that sometimes when using a tackle with many 

 triangles I certainly do lose a good many fish, and the more 

 triangles the angler employs the harder he must strike to be 

 on the safe side. 



If a pike runs deep when struck, hold a firm hand upon 

 him, so as to keep his head up out of the weeds ; and always, 

 if possible, particularly if he is a big one, keep the point of the 

 rod behind him so as to pull the hooks into his mouth instead 

 of out of it. If the fish be straight down-stream below you, 

 rather drop to him than pull against him, for if when you are 

 so pulling he happens to open his mouth and give his head a 

 shake or two, it is a hundred to one that he shakes himself 

 free, unless your hold is very good indeed. If a pike comes to 

 the top of the water, standing on his tail as it were (as if you 

 were weighing him), and with open mouth " grins ghastly " 

 at you, shaking his head to and fro savagely, you are in no 

 little danger of losing him. I have lost scores in this way. 

 The only thing to do is to drop the point of the rod and let 

 him have nothing to struggle against, when he will speedily 

 recover his horizontal ; for if you hang on to him, you are 

 unusually lucky if you kill him. Get the point of the rod down 

 to the surface of the water if he shows symptoms of coming 

 to the top, so that the weight of line may aid in deterring him. 



