60 FAMILIAR FISH, THEIR HABITS AND CAPTURE 





pickerel the whole 

 of both the cheeks 

 and gill covers is 

 entirely covered. 

 These distinctions 

 are shown in the 

 accompanying illus- 

 trations. This meth- 

 od of recognizing the 

 varieties is absolute- 

 ly reliable and accu- 

 rate. As both the 

 cheek and gill covers 

 are quite large even 

 in small fish, there 

 is no difficulty what- 

 ever in noticing these 

 characteristics. 



It can be stated, 

 without any conti'o- 

 versy cir argument, 

 that the true pickerel 

 has rarely exceeded 

 5 or 6 pounds in 

 weight, while the 

 average is usually from 2 to 4 pounds. It is proper, 

 therefore, in almost all instances, to call any pickerel 



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