Chapt. v. Advantages of large bait discussed. 57 



again have been known to take other pike of more than 

 half their own size, and in one case every bit as big as 

 itself, though in the last instance it might have been more 

 intent on fighting than digesting; anyhow it won't do it 

 again, for it died of suffocation. Of course if you go to 

 such a length, as was recently done with success, of bait- 

 ing with a 7 lb. jack for an individual pike of 50 lb., known 

 to reside in a certain locality, it would trouble any small 

 pike to take such a bait, and you might fairly calculate 

 on strong probabilities of your taking the particular pike 

 you wanted, or none at all. But you do not always hap- 

 pen to have a personal acquaintance so intimate as to be 

 able to provide the special dish which your friend alone 

 shall particularly affect. Furthermore I hold that as a 

 preventive measure against indifferent fish a large bait is 

 not a necessary precaution. My belief is that if there is 

 a big fish on the feed within reach of your bait, though 

 small, and you work it naturally enough for him to desire 

 to take it, he will have it, and woe betide the cheeky little 

 fish that presumes to come between him and his dinner, for 

 "a hungry man is an angry man". Again and again have I 

 seen a large fish sail majestically up to his bait, and take 

 it leisurely in, as if thoroughly conscious that none of the 

 smaller fish around dare step in before him. There is 

 a calm resolute look in his eye, and an angry little twitch 

 of his tail, that the smaller fry understand the meaning 

 of right well. It means business, , and they make way 

 for his majesty most apparently. But if there is any 



