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THE VORACIOUS PIKE.
A second enquirer desires to know how to clear a loch of the pike that eat all his trout. The query coincides with the publication of a number of recent experiences of fishermen in respect both of trout and coarse fish. It is not difficult to clear off pike in any narrow stream or small lake. A particularly cunning waterman on the Lee recently astounded a tenant by his skill in ridding the river of pike. A small boy was instructed gently to tap the water-weeds with a long stick. The waterman stood lower down with a copper wire noose on a pole ; and as the pike nosed their way out of the weeds, he had the noose over their heads in a moment. It was amazingly expert work ; and was effective in quite clearing the particular reach of the river. Such a device could not be employed in broad waters. The only successful extermination I know of in such waters was effected by shooting. It was noticed that the pike liked to lie in the shallow water near one side of the lake on sunny days ; and they were easy victims to the ordinary shotgun, which kills them not by penetration of the shot, but by shock.
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