420 THE MOOR AND THE LOCH. 



then draw it to the top, and the single fin will make it spin 

 beautifully. When a pike seizes, you must not be in hurry 

 to strike, or you have small chance of hooking : let out your 

 line with your hand; give him sufficient time to gorge the 

 bait, and then he is fast and firm as you could wish. Use a 

 coarse trolling-rod, with large strong rings, and reel of oiled 

 cord : no swivel is required. Some use a large gaudy fly for 

 pike ; I never do so, and do not recommend it, though I have 

 sometimes caught small pike even with a common trout-fly. 



It is much more easy to find out the haunts of pike than 

 those of trout. The best places are in and near the weedy 

 bays. Fish all these with the running-bait, and, if possible, 

 by wading, cast immediately beyond the weeds, between the 

 shallow and the deep water ; this, however, the sinking mud 

 will often prevent your accomplishing. If you have found 

 the pike on the feed, you may return over the same ground 

 with the gorge, trying all the openings among the weeds that 

 you could not fish with the running-bait. I never troll for 

 pike from a boat unless they cannot be reached any other 

 way. 



SET-LINES AND TRIMMERS FOR PIKE. 



Although rod-fishing for pike affords undoubtedly the best 

 sport, and requires much greater skill, yet by far the most 

 deadly way is with set-lines. This is either done with a long 

 line, and from twelve to twenty hooks, or with single hooks, 

 fixed to a bottle or other equally buoyant float, called a trim- 

 mer. I have also heard of tying baited hooks to the legs of 

 geese, and turning them adrift : when a pike seizes the bait, 

 the goose begins to flap its wings, and there is often consider- 

 able sport in the struggle ; but it is certainly a most cruel 

 diversion, especially if a large pike is hooked. The humane 

 man will be more amused with the trimmer, which I have 

 often practised with great success. 



