178 PIKE AND OTHER COARSE FISH. 



mysteries of dressing the gorge-bait, such, for instance, as 

 cutting off one of the pectoral fins to increase the glancing 

 effect referred to. 



Oppian's description of ancient gorge-fishing is borne out 

 by Dr. Badham's examination of the collection of Pompeian 

 fish-hooks now in the museum at Naples. Some were weighted 

 with lead, shaped into cylindrical lumps, which from a rude 

 resemblance to dolphins, were called delphini. ... In order 

 to prevent the fish biting off the hook a tubular piece of horn 

 sometimes covered the line for the space of a few inches from 

 its junction with the hook. As gimp was unknown to the early 

 followers of the gentle art this was a wise and effectual pre- 

 caution. Homer clearly alluded. to it when speaking, of plung- 

 ing into the sea, he says, ' She sank to the bottom like a leaden 

 weight which placed down upon the wild bull's horn sinks 

 quickly, bearing destruction to the raw devouring fishes.' ' 



I have in the preceding pages indicated what is in my 

 judgment the legitimate scope and province of gorge-bait, that 

 is, its use in waters which are so overgrown with weeds or en- 

 cumbered with bushes and stumps, as to be impracticable to 

 any other style of fishing. Under these circumstances the 

 gorge-bait fulfils a useful role, and one to which personally I 

 should be disposed to confine it. It has, moreover, the dis- 

 advantage that whatever is hooked by it is bound to be killed — 

 killed, I mean, in the literal not in the piscatorial sense — and 

 whether small or large, in condition or out of condition, nothing 

 can ever be returned to the water. I am pleased to think that 

 so potential an authority as the editor of the Fishing Gazette 

 holds the same views. Mr. Marston says : 'We are glad to 

 know the " gorge " system is going out of fashion. A fish 

 hooked in the mouth (as is usual in snap-fishing) fights far 

 better than one whose entrails are being pulled out. You can 

 let a pike under size go without hurting him if he is hooked by 



'IItc, uar' dypouAoio jSobs Ke'pa^, ifi^e^ai/ia, 



'EpX^Tai wjaijaTftfti' eir' ixSvat K^pa ^epovo'a. — //. xxiv. 80— 22. 



