CHAPTEE V 



THE PIKE 



Pike-fishing has become of late years a v6ry fasiiionable 

 aad general branch of angling, not so much for the 

 edible qualities of the fish as for the sport which 

 attends his capture, particularly in some of our larger 

 rirers and lakes, where the fish attains to a considerable 

 size. 



All the writers on the natural history of the pike 

 tell many wonderful stories about him. It does not 

 appear that he was known to the Greeks and Eomans — 

 at least Aristotle and Pliny do not speak of him. The 

 first author who formally treats of the pike is Ausonius, 

 who flourished about the middle of the fourth century, 

 and who does not appear to have entertained very 

 favourable opinions of either the kindly dispositions 

 or gastronomic excellences of the fish. He holds him 

 forth in a poetic strain under the name of Lucius. 



" Lucius obsourus ulva lacunas 

 Obsidet. His nullos mensaruin leotus ad usus, 

 Fumat ftunosis olido nidore popinis." 



" The wary liice 'midst wreck and rushes hid, 

 The scourge and terror of the scaly brood ; 

 Unknown at friendship's hospitable board. 

 Smokes 'midst the smoky tavern's coarsest food." 



The pike has uniformly acquired the reputation for 

 extraordinary and shark - like voracity. Anecdotes 

 illustrative of this peculiarity are detailed by numerous 

 authors ; and indeed everybody at all familiar with 



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