WILD SPORTS IN IRELAND.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."
Sin,—In your notice of Mr. Bickerdyke's book in the Spectator of July 31st, you say he doubts whether pike of 40 lb. weight are ever caught in Ireland. It may interest him and other of your readers to bear about the capture of one weighing 42 lb. I live on the shore of Lough Ramor, Co. Cavan, in which occasionally very large fish are taken. About ten years ago my steward was in a boat and about to examine a short net set to catch bait for night lines. He noticed what seemed to be a log sticking out of the water. He was sur- prised, knowing that there was no log there. On going to examine he found it was a huge pike lying, apparently asleep, on the surface of the water. He rowed very quietly to it and very gently with his oar headed it in the direction of the net. The fish, in a kind of dreamy way, moved to the net and
deliberately rolled itself up in it, and so was captured. Had it been wide awake and come with force against the net it would have gone through it, like a bullet through a piece of pasteboard. It was in splendid condition, not a long fish, but excessively broad, and had teeth about one and a half inches long. I had its head fora long time hanging on my harness-room door. It was a curious coincidence that the very same week another still larger pike weighing 56 lb. was caught on the opposite side of the lake. I did not see it, but have no doubt about the weight, as it was taken into the neighbouring town of Oldcastle—to Mr. George Porter's shop. He told me he weighed it as soon as it came in. It was then cut into junks and sold by the pound to customers, it being market day, so the weight was doubly ascertained. I have heard of equally large fish having been taken, but have not in any way verified
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