The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1902-08-13
The Greedy like.

The pike, or EsoX lucius the luce of
the old writers, has been called "the
tyrant of the rivers, or the fresh water
wolf,' says old lzaak Walton. by rea-
son of his bold, devouring DISPOSE
ton" Honest lzaak goes on to quote
O. story of man VINO was watering
mule one day when "a pike bit his
mule by TIE lips to which the pike
held so fast that the mule drew him
out of the water, and by that accident
the owner of the mule angled out the
pike" This sounds just trifle fishy,
even for "Ye Compleat Angler" But
many a fisherman can cite well au-
thenticated cases of the voracity and
impudence which go far toward JUS
tifying the bad character given to the
pike. From the stomach of an Is
FOUNDER caught in the st. Lawrence
were taken four pound chub, half
grown duck, a young kitten and a
babys boot. A lad cooling his feet in
the water ever the stern of boat on
the upper Ottawa was almost pulled
overheard by huge pike that severely
lacerated his toes vefore deciding that
five feet of boy was rather more than
he could manage to conveniently stow
away.
But II is only fair to remember that
the pike is keen hunter of curios.
When he is in the humor of it he will
pick up anything curious or glitter
toring, without any reference to its ed
lille qualities. Among the Laurentian
hills it is not at all uncommon to
find cubes and nodules of shining iron
pyrites, the mundic of the gold miner,
In the paunches of pike. A silver cuff
stud was watched IN its fall through
the clear water of one of the lakes
there, until it was deftly caught and
swallowed by small sized pike that
could have had no possible practical
Use for 1t.
In Beauce county and in tie st.
Francis river five FOUNDER was
caught and sold to passer by for 25
cents, and within the fish was discov-
cred nearly an ounce of gold in little
nuggets. The writer once took cor
roded half dollar from the interior of
three or four-pound pike that ap-
peared to be qu.,- iealtny in spite Of
iis ill-gotten gain. A pike was speared
On the Gatineau, and inside was found
a broken old silver teaspoon bored
at eacn end for trolling purposes
hooks and swivel having evidently
l 'an, who saw ..,e find, that So years
ago he had had. that homemade spoon
bait jerked Off mis- line by fish in
that same lake. II the old mans men,
cry is not at fault, Bacon was wrong
in his assertion that the pike does not
live more than 40 years, and the sto-
lies of the marked fish having been
known to exist fer more than 200
years may he correct after all.
These instances tend to prove the
theory that it is not because he is so
foolish as to be deceived by any clum-
sy likeness to a fish in the ordinary
spoon bait or spinner, but because of
his desire to collect pretty shining
things that the pike is caught by such
lures. When the pike feels like col
lecting any glistening or handsome
,..ing dragged before his nose will at
tract pike-and some other breathing
things also. The pike IS capsicious.
tco. On one OCCASIONS, when others
were trying in vain to tempt the water
wolves with such dainties as minnows
and frogs, clergyman caught five
very large fish with family Of young
mice which had been discovered In n
nice dry corner among his sermons.
The same reverend sportsman once had
grand success among the pike with the
head of a red squirrel, and a lad did
just about as we'll with the tail of the
same creature. This. however, was the
result OF observing a greedy young
jack pike overhauling, and after a
struggle dragging under squirrel as
lie was swimming across little bay
Providence Telegram.