THE PIKE 103 



"When all is ready, throw your bait lightly into the 

 water, and let it sink very nearly to the bottom. Draw 

 it up again at a moderate pace, in any direction you 

 choose, taking care to give it a slight curving motion. 

 Practice will soon make perfect in this respect. Experi- 

 ence alone can guide the angler to the most favourable 

 spots for the casts. The water in likely places cannot 

 be fished too closely and carefully. Fish are very easily 

 missed, and therefore, in favourable water, almost 

 every square inch should be worked over. Weeds will 

 give the troUer but little trouble, if he be careful to lay 

 the barbs of his hook close to the cheeks of his bait, 

 and to turn the points downwards. Keep your bait 

 clean, and preserve it from being bruised, if possible, as 

 the pike, with all his voracity, is occasionally very 

 particular. If fishing in a pond or lake, you may make 

 your casts as far and wide as you please ; although we 

 do not beheve your chance of success will be greater on 

 that account. Take care that the bait falls gently on 

 the water, except in windy weather, and then it does 

 not signify how great a splash you make — perhaps the 

 greater the better. But if you are fishing in a navi- 

 gable river, up and down which boats are perpetually 

 passing, you cannot fish too close to the side. Eighteen 

 inches or two feet from the bank, provided the water 

 be not too shallow, is quite far enough out in such 

 waters. We have seen this proved to demonstration 

 over and over again. 



"When you feel a run, which the pike generally takes 

 care shall be no doubtful matter, pay out your line and 

 let him rove where he hkes. Do not let him run it off 

 the winch himself, but slack it out for him ; for if he 

 feel the slightest resistance, he will suspect all is not 

 right, and perhaps refuse to gorge. If, when he has 

 taken the bait, he merely intends to play with it, he 

 will keep swimming about from place to place, and your 

 chance of getting him is in such a case very small ; but 

 if he be in earnest, he will move off to his haunt at once ; 

 and when he has remained there perfectly still precisely 

 ten minutes — more time is often necessary — you may 



