THE PIKE fcC. 127 



larly proper when the water is shallow. On this subject, 

 Salter says : ' In the summer months, when the water gets 

 low and bright, from a continuance of dry weather, I have 

 found, when I used traces made of the choicest twisted gut, 

 instead of gimp, and hooks also tied to twisted gut, that I 

 have killed more jack and pike, either when trolling ,with the 

 gorge, or live-bait fishing, than I could if I used gimp. This, 

 you are to observe, is only during the summer, when jack 

 and pike are not much on the feed, and the water is very 

 bright — they seem shy of coarse tackle; but not so in winter 

 and spring, for they are then well on the feed and the water 

 is generally somewhat discolored, at which time and seasons 

 I believe jack and pike would take a baited hook if it was 

 tied to a clothes' line or rope." 



Another mode of taking the pike is by baiting with a 

 small fish on the gorge-hook, which Hofland says is " either a 

 double orsingle hook, fixed on a twisted brass wire, and loaded 

 on the shank with lead, to which is attached a piece of gimp, 

 eight or ten inches .long, at the end of which is a small loop. 

 To bait this hook you must have a brass needle, about seven 

 inches long; put the loop of the gimp in the eye or small 

 curve of the needle ; then put the point of the needle in at 

 the mouth of the. fish, and bring it out at his tail ; bring the 

 gimp and wire along with it, the lead being fixed in the belly 

 of the bait fish, and the hook or hooks lying close to the out- 

 side of the mouth; then turn the points of the hooks towards 

 his eyes, if a double hook, but if a single one, directly in a 

 line with his belly ; next tie the fish's tail to the arming wire 

 very neatly with a strong thread. To the line on your reel 

 you must attach a gimp trace 24 inches, long, having a swivel 

 at each end, and one in the middle. The spring-swivel al 

 the end of your line, is to be hooked on the loop of your 

 baited trace, and you are ready for sport. 



" When you are thus prepared, drop in your bait lightly 



