CHAPTER XII. 



Pike and Pike-Fishing. 



OOUNDLESS is the romance of pike-fishing, and almost illimit- 

 *-^ able are the hopes that it awakens in the pike-angler's breast. 

 When in quest of the " mighty Luce " the possibilities of landing a 

 specimen of exceptional size are great in comparison with those 

 begotten of the pursuit of fish, such as roach, dace, chub and barbel, 

 whose limits of weight are somewhat restricted. Down in the 

 mysterious depths of the river, lake, mere or pond to whose banks 

 the angler resorts, may lurk pike of Dreadnought dimensions ; and 

 the expectation or hope of bringing to gaff a thirty or forty-pounder 

 may be realised at any time. Therein lies the fascination of 

 angling for Esox lucius. To these grand anticipatory joys add the 

 pleasures of weathering the rigorous elements during a winter's day ; 

 and straightway the reason for the popularity of this branch of 

 angling is obvious. 



The lore and legends relating to pike and pike-fishing are such 

 as fire the enthusiasm of the most unimaginative of anglers. 

 Gesner's pike, which is reputed to have been more than 250 years 

 old, and to have weighed over 3 cwt., is undoubtedly a mythical 

 fish ; and, even if Pliny's statements concerning the many huge 

 pike captured in the Tiber are correct, it is said to be more than 

 likely that those leviathans were not the Esox of modern ichthyology. 

 The Salopshire fish of ryolb., from whose terrible jaws a certain 

 parish clerk escaped so miraculously, and the 146-pounder from 

 Lochaber, of which Colonel Thornton speaks, may also be regarded 

 as fabulous. But, turning to authentic records, pike are known to 

 have attained the enormous weight of 4olb., solb,, yolb., and over ; 



