The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-17
Fun WITH W4LL-EIED PIKE.
Lazy. RestfuI Sport for the Angler In the
Early Spring.

! OF warm bright spring day, when there
! is little wind and the first touch of the heat
of summer is in the air. a m. in u boat
anchored in quiet bay of some woodland
lake ms v have fun with the wsll-eyed pike.
He should choose bay where the trees
come down to the edge of the water. thick
standing trees, whose reflected folia &c gives
a greenish tinge TO the almost motionless
mirror beneath him. These trees will stop
whatever breeze may he moving and the
bay will be unrufIicd
No Insects will be visible until June is
we'll along, save an occasional clumsy red
bodied bug, with shor; stiff wings, which
comes out to say that winter has gone and
then dies, but there will he insects abroad
and at work, though invisible, and by listen
ing closely the man will hear the faint hum
of them, Ikea dista mt hive of bees bent upon
giving the farmer trouble by sw: rming.
On such day sounds come from grea t
distances over the water. Tho clank Of an
oar In the lock and the voice OF n girl out
fishing for croppies are borne for half q
mile.
will come faint but pretty good imita ton
Of steamboat or sawmill whistle, short
but good, and that will be a loon swimming
or tanding on his tail 2 nd whirling with out :
spread wings. enjoying himself This is
the sitting note of the loon nd q leo the ce II
to its mate, different utterly from the So
termed wild laughter, which is its note when
in flight. or when alarmed. and has no
aughtcr in it.
The W, ll-eyed pike. SO CO He'd beca use he
ha ludicrous eyes a $ big asa silver qun rter
Of q dollar and ineHably staring. is Ia ~
and sly, very greedy, but o.sinclined to ex-
ertion, utterly willing to he fed, but inds-
posed TO hunt food desperately There Is
no fight in him, lust a steady sullen ORA z
which ends soon, and he surrenders q stolld
captive.
Generally he is deep down, p, riculary
early in the yesr, liking water from eight
TO ten feet in depth, and there he moves
indolcntly bo OK and forth. smelling of things
and occo sionally swallowing them. II a
| red-sided minnow or any other SIN II living
thing is sleepy or cautious and gets too
near there will be quick dart of yard
and little ira gedy, but most active fishes
IRE able 70 keep out OF the wa ll-eye's :"
=. To fish for him successfully one Tic . IS
These are hooked though the back and
lowered to the proper depth. Goat being
most Gifted used and the upper line allowed
to lie slackly on the water
The minnow cannot get away and makes
small effort. 1t swinis weakly in small
circles for awhile and then hangs still
The pike approaches and sees good
thing He regards IL from a distance Of
a yard. starts forward for a foot, stops,
takes another look and seizes it. imme-
diately moving away slowly and holding
the minnow lightly in his jaws The man
above waits until his float has travelled
four or five feet and then strikes In the hook
1t Is characteristic Of the wall-eye when
hooked that he will never come to the sur
face until dra gged there. He Is n boring
He throws up his tail and bears down his
head and so struggles but soon gives up.
He is n strong fish, weighing frequently
from six to eight pounds, going sometimes
as high az twelve. and has the material for
big fight in him; bu. he lacks courage.
pounds, and a half dozen will be as many as
any reasonable man will want
He may take these on a still day with
very little trouble to himself and in utter