32 PIKE AND OTHER COARSE FISH. 



sized offspring, suited for trout-fishing, and fishing generally 

 other than for pike. This was brought out some years ago 

 by Messrs. Watson and Son, fishing tackle makers, of High 

 Holborn. 



The subject of Landing-Nets, Gaffs, and Gaffing demands a 

 few words of notice at this point. 



In the ordinary business of pike-fishing from the punt or 

 bank, the extreme portability of the net is of small importance. 

 Any net will do, in fact, which is large enough for the purpose, 

 and the only hint on the subject that need be given is that in 

 order to avoid the catching of the hooks in the net the latter 

 is best made of oiled silk. In all cases the longer the handle 



A MECHANICALLY-CORRECT GAFF. 



the better ; a bamboo handle, which has the advantage also of 

 being able to carry a spare top or two, is the lightest and most 

 convenient. 



For pike-fishing, when unattended, I never myself use any- 

 thing except -the gaff, carried over my shoulder on the portable 

 net handle (figured at p. 212), — an arrangement which needs 

 little argurhent to commend itself to the practical pike-fisher. 

 To the spinner especially the gaff presents considerable advan- 

 tage over the laiiding-net, as it almost invariably happens that 

 some of the hooks of the flight are outside and not inside the 

 fish's mouth, and are thus apt to get caught and inconveniently 

 entangled in' the ■ net. In fact, the landing of pike caught 

 spinning with a net leads to a frequent destruction of the flights, 



