
One way to catch pickerel. 
But if you want real sport, use a fly rod with spinner or pork rind lure 
The Leopard of the Lake 
Maligned Fish, Is Worthy the Angler’s Attention 
The Pickerel, a Much 
Man’s opinion of our fishes has been 
told with facile pen; 
’Twould be a gracious thing to know 
what fishes think of men. 
EW, if any, of our well-known 
F fishes have had more praise as 
well as censure bestowed upon 
them than has the subject of this 
sketch. 
What the bluefish is to the ocean 
the pike and pickerel is to lake and 
stream. Neither can we completely 
separate the analogy of man with this 
particular species in the way of con- 
demnation or praise. As the greatest 
of warriors among men have been those 
who condemn or praise, as their con- 
ceptions direct, so do _ these, the 
mightiest of fresh-water fishes, receive 
enconium or hate. To those who regard 
it from the viewpoint of its nature 
alone, it is deserving of neither mercy 
or praise; while those who give it more 
careful thought, see in it a decidedly 
game fish, and a species worthy of full 
protection under the law, as well as one 
furnishing full reward to the angler’s 
endeavor. The generic term pike is all- 
embracing, and includes the pickerels, 
the pikes and mascalonge as well as 
the jacks of many waters. No matter 
under what head they may be consid- 
ered, they all have the same murderous 
traits, and are armed with the same 
weapons of destruction which spare 
only animals larger than themselves. 
It is a well-known fact that in wa- 
ters inhabited by these fish no animal 
which it can compass is safe from its 
murderous maw. All fish smaller than 
406 
By LEONARD HULIT 
itself as well as rats, frogs and the 
young of waterfowl all are on its menu 
awaiting only the opportunity to be 
served up. Like a leopard in its lair 
waits the pike behind some screen of 
grass or bush, motionless as death, its 
eye taking in every moving thing within 
its range of vision. Just an occasional 
motion of caudal or pectoral fin to keep 
its exact poise, is all that can be seen 
to denote life in the savage. Its keen 
eye takes in a school of minnows sport- 
ing near by, but the fry is too small for 
the moment. Something else is in more 
danger. A mother duck has led her lit- 
tle brood down to the water for a play 
in their favorite element. The mother is 
proud of her eight little fluff balls. They 
have been having lessons at their bath 
now for two weeks, and are no longer 
afraid of the water and swim boldly 
out. The mother in her exuberance of 
life straightens up, waving her wings 
vigorously, then preens her feathers 
after her shower bath. You are watch- 
ing the pike wondering at his perfect 
poise in the water and his apparent in- 
difference to any moving object. While 
your attention is riveted directly on him 
you suddenly realize he is no longer 
there. 
SF quick was his departure your eye 
did not get it, and while you are 
yet wondering at it all, a cry of alarm 
from the mother duck attracts your at- 
tention and a wide swirl in the water 
near her tells you something has hap- 
pened in her vicinty. No splash, just 
a commotion under the surface, and the 
little family is hurrying shoreward. As 
_they gain the bank you count them 
again, only seven now. A tragedy took 
place beneath your very eye, so silently, 
and swiftly, that you hardly compre- 
hend it. But, no matter how aggrieved 
the mother duck may be, the leopard 
of the lake is satisfied with his prowess, 
and has settled down in some quiet re- 
treat to digest his ill-gotten meal. And 
yet, the fish has done only as instinct 
and nature directed. 
O-MORROW the fish is at his lair 
again, awaiting another meal; he 
may be watching the frog which sits on 
the adjacent lily pad, that scarcely sup- 
ports his weight. He is contentedly 
blinking in the sun and is large and 
luscious; and the fish knows it will take 
to the water some time, and then sud- 
denly a something, looking like a cloud- 
shadow, is passing over the water. The 
fish has seen it many times. It is an 
Indian canoe and has never harmed 
him, besides he is a good two feet be- 
neath the water and safe, his eye again 
rests on the frog. The Indian, too, has 
eyes; he has seen the leopard laying 
motionless, and with the quickness of 
thought, poises, then drives his spear 
deep into the back of the fish and the 
now helpless creature with mortal 
wound is thrown in the canoe. The 
frog with its peculiar cry plunges into 
the lake. He has witnessed the death 
of his mortal enemy, and in the frog 
concert of the coming night, it may be 
sung with glad acclaim how their dread 
enemy perished. 
You have watched the Indian’s skill, 
while seated on the grassy bank not far 
away, enjoying your outdoor vacation 
and you watch him as he heads his 
