10 lbs. or 11 lbs.; but they are only to be found of this size in such rivers as the Thames, and even there only occasionally; a trout, however, of lb. will afford most excellent sport, as he is a very strong fish, and when hooked struggles most desperately, darting in every direction, and often jumping a long way out of the water, and trying every means of disengaging himself from the hook. It is at this time that the greatest skill and coolness is required; for if too sudden a check is put upon his exertions, he will assuredly break away; and if the line is allowed to be too slack, there is every chance of the hook drawing from its hold. If any of our young friends should be fortunate enough to hook a fine trout, he must not be disheartened if he should

lose his fish from either of the above causes, if not from the breaking of his line and the loss of his rod as well, for these are occurrences which frequently happen to expert fishermen, and must therefore be expected to happen to the novice. Patience and a determination to bear up against and conquer difficulties in fishing, as in every undertaking in life, is the only certain method of commanding success.

Although it is in but very few rivers that bottom fishing (excepting with the natural or artificial minnow, which will be hereafter described) for trout is allowed, yet we think we ought to describe it, in case any of our readers may happen to be near a river which is not preserved, and in which some trout may be found.

Use a long, strong rod, with winch and running-tackle, without a float, and a No. 7 hook tied on the best gut, shotted about 8 inches above it, and bait with a well-scoured middling-sized lob-worm, and cast in the bait up-stream, and allow it to carry the bait down, tripping on the bottom. It is advisable to keep as far from the water as possible, to avoid being seen by the fish, for trout-the large ones especially-are very shy.

One of the most successful ways of angling for trout, and more particularly for the large ones, is by spinning with a minnow; and perhaps a great deal of time and trouble may be spared by using artificial ones, which are now made so exactly like the natural fish as to be scarcely distinguishable from it; and as a trout will not notice a bait if at all mutilated or disfigured, we are inclined

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FIG. 20.

FIG. 19.

to recommend the artificial bait for this mode of fishing. The bait should be cast across the stream, and drawn by gentle jerks against it, so as to cause it

FIG. 21.

to spin in its passage through the water. These baits are so well provided

with hooks that the instant a trout seizes it he cannot avoid being hooked, and as the tackle is strong, with ordinary care he may be easily taken.

The mode of baiting with a natural minnow is shown in the accompanying cut. (Fig. 21.)

A

B

In the far North minnows are captured by the following ingenious contrivance: A clean glass bottle is obtained, of the shape shown in Fig. 22. A fine meshed net is tied over the mouth, A, and a few crumbs of bread are placed inside. It is then placed with its mouth to the current, in a stream frequented by minnows; the water agitates the crumbs; the little gentry assemble to see the fun, and quickly find their way through the aperture B into the bottle, where they are

FIG. 22.

joined by their companions by the dozen. This bottle is invaluable, though awkward to carry about.

is one of our most well-known fish, and so remarkable for its voracity as to have acquired the title of the "fresh-water shark." He affords some of the best sport obtainable by the British angler, as he grows to a large size and fights desperately when hooked. One great advantage in pike fishing is that it may be pursued in winter, the best season being from September to February, at which latter time they get so full of spawn that a true sportsman will let them alone. They may be caught in several ways.

1. With a live bait and float.

2. By the gorge-hook.

3. By spinning (natural and artificial bait).

4. By the artificial fly.

For each of these methods special merit is claimed. Live-bait fishing is certainly less trouble than the others, and in the early part of the season (from

June to September) a small live gudgeon on fine tackle will certainly succeed better than any other bait, however used. It may, perhaps, be objected that it is rather cruel to the bait. In fishing for jack with a live bait, use a rod about 12 feet long, which must be very strong-as you will have to strike hard -with large rings, fixed upright, about 40 or 50 yards of prepared silk line, a tolerable-sized float (we prefer an ordinary wine-bottle cork), and a gimp trace and swivel, as shown attached to the hook in the cut (Fig. 23). The set of hooks shown in the cut is a favourite with many anglers.

FIG. 23.

In using it, take a baiting-needle, fasten the hook at the end of it to the loop of your hook-trace, and pass the gimp, with one or two stitches, under the skin of your bait, so as to bring the small hook up in the manner shown in the cut. Let your bait swim near weeds, sluices, roots of trees, &c., at a depth of between two and three feet near the bank in rivers, and some distance out in ponds. When you have a run, your float will suddenly go down. Let the fish run a yard or two, and then strike pretty hard. When he is hooked, keep a tight hold of him, and don't let him get into mischief, giving no more

time than absolutely necessary. In landing a pike a gaff is the best assistant, and you must keep a sharp look-out for certain very sharp teeth which he possesses. The best form of gaff is described at page 472. It should be screwed into a strong wooden handle.

Under the head of "Live-bait Fishing" we might, perhaps, include the utterly unsportsmanlike practice of "trimmers," which are usually flat pieces of cork, about 4 inches in diameter, having a groove round their edge, and a piece of wood fixed through their centre having a slit at its lower end. The line is firmly attached to the trimmer, about 5 or 6 yards of it is wound round the cork, and a portion of it (according to the depth of water), with a live bait attached, is left loose, being firs. made fast in the slit at the lower end. The line is then placed and left in the water. As soon as a pike seizes the bait, the line slips out of the slit and allows him to run until he hooks himself; the trimmer keeps, of course, at the top of the water, and shows where the fish is. This method is generally adopted in large lakes, reservoirs, &c., to take pike by night.

Another common and at the same time a most successful method of landing · pike with live bait is by simply using a large hook, and hooking the bait through the lip or under the back fin.

And now for the gorge-hook.

This method, though not so much in vogue as formerly, still enjoys a great measure of popularity. The cuts will, we think,

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FIG. 24.

sufficiently explain the method of baiting it. As for bait, a nice fresh gudgeon, from 4 to 5 inches long, is best in summer and up to November, after which, and at times when the water is a little coloured by rain, a good-sized roach or dace is preferable. In fishing with the gorge-hook, try every inch of the water you are fishing if possible: you may often have a run where you least expect it. Cast your bait close to the side of the water at first, and let it drop in quietly head foremost between weeds, &c.; then cast a little farther out, and so on, till you have thrown to the full extent of your power, when, if you have not had a run, you may give up, and conclude that there are either no fish or that they won't feed. When you have thrown in your bait, which should be done with as little splash as possible, let it sink nearly to the bottom, and keep drawing it up by gentle snatches to the right and left alternately, and again