AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 
179 
fly; but, as a convincing proof to the contrary, a Pike 
the largest taken by a line, or perhaps ever known in this 
country, was caught in Lock Ken, near New Galloway, 
in Scotland, with a common fly, made of the peacock 
feather; it weighed seventy-two pounds; the skeleton of 
the head is at Kenmore Castle; the jaw at the top is that 
of a Pike, weighing twenty-five pounds: a scale is annex- 
ed by which the respective proportions of the two may 
be ascertained, and which will convey some idea of the 
largest Pike ever seen in Great Britain. 
The Pike fly must be made upon a double hook, fasten- 
ed to a good link of gimp, and composed of very gaudy 
materials; such as pheasant’s, peacock’s, or mallard’s fea- 
thers; the brown and softest part of bear’s fur; the red- 
dish part of that of a squirrel, with some yellow mohair 
for the body. The head is formed of a little fur, some 
gold twist, and two small black or blue beads for the eye; 
the body must be framed rough, full, and round; the 
wings not parted, but to stand upright on the back, and 
some smaller feathers continued thence all down the back, 
to the end of the tail; so that, when finished, they may 
be left a little longer than the hook, and the whole to be 
about the size of a wren. A fly thus made will often take 
Pike, when other baits are of no avail, especially in dark 
windy days; the fly must be moved quick when in the 
water, and kept on the surface if possible. Several sorts 
of these flies are to be had at all the fishing-tackle shops. 
Pike are also taken with a live bait, fixed to a certain 
place, termed a ledger bait: if a fish is to be used, the 
hook is to be run through the upper lip or back fin; if a 
frog, (of which the yellowest are the. best,) the arming 
wire is to be put in at the mouth, and out. at the gill, and 
tie the leg above the upper joint to the wire; fasten the 
wire to a strong line, about twelve or fourteen yards long; 
the other end being made fast to a stake or stump of a tree, 
a forked stick is to be placed near the surface, through 
which the line is to pass, and suspend the bait about a 
yard in the water, by a notch made in the fork; but which, 
when the bait is taken, will easily slip out; but the best 
way is to have a wheel, or an iron spindle, to stick into 
the ground. 
Huxing Pike is, with large bladders, blown up and tied 
close; at the mouth of each fasten a line, (longer or shorter 
according to the water’s depth,) with an armed hook 
baited; launch them with the advantage of the wind to 
move up and down the pool: a boat will be necessary in 
this diversion. 
Huxing Pike is also done by fixing an armed hook bait- 
ed, at such a length as to swim about mid-water, to the 
leg of a goose or duck, and then driving the birds into 
the water. It was thus formerly practised in the Loch of 
Monteith, in Scotland, which abounds with very large 
perch and pike. “ Upon these islands a number of geese 
were collected by the farmers, who occupied the surround- 
ing banks of the loch: after baited lines of two or three 
feet long had been tied to the legs of their geese, they 
were driven into the water; steering naturally homewards, 
in different directions, the baits were soon swallowed: a 
violent and often tedious struggle ensued; in which, how- 
ever, the geese at length prevailed, though they were fre- 
quently much exhausted before they reached the shore.” 
This method has not been so long relinquished, but there 
are old persons upon the spot who were active promoters 
of the amusement. 
Trimmers of two sorts may be described; the one is 
made of flat cork, or any light wood, painted, to be seven 
or eight inches diameter, turned round with a groove in 
the edge, large enough to receive a fine whipcord or silk 
line, twelve or fourteen yards, or at least five yards longer 
than the depth of the water: a small peg, two inches long, 
is fixed in the centre, with the end slit; and a small double 
hook fixed to a brass wire link is to be used. Insert the 
baiting needle under the side fin of the bait, (for which 
large gudgeons are superior to all others,) and keep it just 
within the skin of the side; bring it out beyond the back 
fin, drawing the wire after it, and the hook, when drawn 
home, will be partly covered by the side fin. This me- 
thod, performed carefully, will preserve the fish alive for 
many hours longer than any other; one end of the line is 
of course fixed to the cork, the other to the loop in the 
wire; the line is then slightly put into the slit of the peg, 
to keep the bait at a proper depth, (from three to four 
feet, which is more likely to attract the Pike’s notice 
than if laid deeper, or nearer the surface,) and to prevent 
its untwisting the line out of the groove. The trimmer 
should always be started on the windward side of the pond, 
and the rougher the water the better sport; if not seiz- 
ed in one trip, it must be taken up and re-started from the 
windward side again. 
The other trimmers are also of cork, and are to be bait- 
ed and used as above; their form is adapted to go easily 
through weeds when taken by the Pike; after the line is 
run off’, they will follow in the shape of a wedge, and 
will not long be kept from appearing on the surface in the 
weediest places: a hole is burnt through one corner of the 
cork, by which, with a cord, it may be made stationary 
to the side of any water; and which method is sometimes 
preferred where a boat cannot be readily commanded. No 
species of fishing does more execution than this: in windy 
weather, at all seasons of the year, and both day and night, 
the trimmer presents itself as to the most deadly foe the 
Pike can encounter. 
