The Greedy Pike
A distinguished Minister of Agriculture once said in my hearing that of all the sports in which he had ever shared that which pleased him most was fishing for pike. Si fore: in terris ! A general invitation has gone out to experts in the fishing of pike to lend a hand at catching the multitude which have appeared in the most precious salmon reaches of the Wye ; and a request has gone forth for information on the best lure, or method of destruction. Have the salmon fishers thought of shooting the pike ? So far as my own observation goes, the pike is a sun-loving fish. You may fmd him—at least in some streams and some lochs—dozing in the shallow waters at particular hours of the day. You may then (if he is to be regarded as vermin) easily shoot him
or noose him expert° crede. But he is a noble fish and so to destroy him is a boy's excess, scarcely to be pardoned. Let him be fished for in style, and he will give, as the Minister confessed—or boasted ?—as good sport as the ferocious
salmon himself. * _ *
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