176 
THE CABINET OF NATURAL HISTORY, 
the size to which they arrive in its waters; in the river 
Shannon and in Lough Corrib they have been found nearly 
seventy pounds weight. 
Small fish show a similar uneasiness at the presence of 
the Pike, as the little birds do at the sight of the hawk or 
owl; and when they lie dormant near the surface, (as they 
frequently do in sultry weather,) the lesser fish swim 
around in vast numbers, and with evident anxiety. Pike 
are often taken in the hottest part of the days in summer, 
while they are thus asleep, by a noose of wire, fixed to a 
strong pole about four yards long; by which the wire with 
great slowness is conducted over the Pike’s head and gill 
fins, and then hoisted with a jerk to land. 
Pike are also frequently shot while thus basking them- 
selves: the marksman aims directly under them: from the 
deception there is in the water, and its causing the shot to 
rise much when fired into, he would otherwise miss his 
object. 
Pike love a still, shady, unfrequented water, with a 
sandy, clayey, or chalky bottom, (arriving at a larger size 
in pools than rivers,) and from May to the beginning of 
October, they usually place themselves amongst or near 
flags, bulrushes, and water-docks, and particularly under 
the ranunculus aquaticus when in flower, and which floats 
on the surface; they will sometimes be found in the ter- 
mination of sharp currents: from March to the end of 
May they resort to back waters that have direct commu- 
nication with the main stream: as winter approaches they 
retire into the deeps, under clay banks, bushes impend- 
ing over the water, stumps and roots of trees, piles of 
bridges, and flood-gates. They spawn in March or April, 
according to the coldness or warmth of the weather, quit- 
ting the rivers for the creeks and ditches communicating 
with them, and there dropping their ova in the grass and 
reeds; in ponds they choose the weeds upon the shallows 
for depositing it; ducks and other wild fowl eagerly de- 
vour the spawn, and by them it is transported to other 
waters. The appearance of the Pike in ponds, where 
none were ever put, has been deemed as extraordinary as 
its asserted longevity; it is, however, easily accounted for, 
upon the well-known principles of the generation of fishes: 
if a heron has devoured their ova, and afterwards ejected 
them, while feeding in one of these ponds, it is highly 
probable that they may be produced from this original, in 
the same way as the seeds of plants are known to be dis- 
seminated. 
Pike are in season from May to February, (the female 
fish are to be preferred;) are bold biters, afford the angler 
good sport, and may be fished for all the year; but the 
best months, (especially for trolling,) are February, be- 
fore the weeds shoot, and October, when they are rotted; 
the latter is to be preferred, as the Pike are fattened by 
their feed during the summer, and from the lowness of 
the waters, their harbours are easily discovered. 
For trolling, the rod should be twelve or fourteen feet 
long; but a strong top for this fishing, with a ring at the 
end for the line to run through, may be fitted to a fly or 
general rod; there should be one ring upon each joint to 
conduct the line, which is better than a greater number, 
(and these rings must be set on straight, that it may run 
freely, so that no sudden check after the bait is taken pre- 
vent the Pike from gorging it:) the line should be of silk, 
with a swivel at the end to receive the armed wire or 
gimp, and at least thirty yards long, wound upon a winch 
or reel, fixed to the butt end of the rod, hooks for trol- 
ling, called dead gorges, and other sorts for trolling, snap, 
and trimmer, and fishing needles, are to be bought at 
every shop where fishing-tackle is sold; in the choice of 
the first, let them not be too large, nor their temper in- 
jured by the lead on the shanks, nor the points stand too 
proud; and, although usually sold on wire, it is recom- 
mended to cut off the wire about an inch from the lead, 
and with double silk, well waxed, fasten about a foot of 
good gimp to the wire, with a noose at the other end of 
the gimp, large enough to admit the bait to pass through, 
to hang it upon the line. The best baits are gudgeons or 
dace, of a middling size; put the baiting-needle in at the 
mouth, and out at the middle of the tail, drawing the 
gimp and hook after it, fixing the point of the hook near 
the eye of the fish; tie the tail to the gimp, which will 
not only keep it in a proper position, but prevent the tail 
from catching against weeds and roots in the water: thus 
baited, the hook is to be fastened to the line, and dropt 
gently in the water, near the sides of the river, across the 
water, or where it is likely Pike resort; keep the bait in 
constant motion, sometimes letting it ■„ sink near the bot- 
tom, and gradually raising it; the angler need not make 
more than two or three trials in a place, for if a Pike be 
there, he will within that time bite, if he means to do so; 
when the bait is taken, if at a depth too great to see, it 
will easily be ascertained by the line being drawn tight, 
and by some resistance: let the Pike have what line he 
chooses, it will be soon known when he has reached his 
harbour by his not drawing more; allow from five to ten 
minutes for his gorging the bait; wind up the line gently 
until the Pike is seen, (which he will permit, though he 
has not gorged:) should the bait be across his mouth, give 
more time; but if he has swallowed, manage him with a 
gentle hand, keeping him, however, from roots and stumps, 
which he will try to fasten the line upon; in clear water 
veer out line until he is sufficiently tired, and a landing 
net can be used; but by no means, however apparently 
