My own japanned case, made twenty years ago, has well answered its purpose, but is now superseded by improved ones. A recent and greatly

and in addition to its many compartments for the stowage of floats, hooks, spinning-baits, flights, &c., has receptacles for reels and lines. There is a hasp for a secret padlock, and a handle to carry it by on the lid or false back, which falls down and supports the case when opened, as is shown in the very accurate illustrations. A waterproof bag with a sling is also made, in which to pack the case when closed. Baskets and bags to hold the captured fish are very necessary addenda, and are also useful to contain the angler's wading boots and macintosh when journeying to a river or fishery. Convenient carriers of any capacity can be obtained at most tackle-shops. The next requisite

(About one-third size.)

I must mention are gaffs. Of these some are made with the last inch or so of the point turning somewhat outwards. and not parallel with the shank; these are faulty in shape. When properly constructed and mechanically correct, they should be as depicted in my sketch. The staff to which they are screwed should be about four feet long, and if of bamboo, it will carry a spare top-joint. There are various gaff staves sold; some of them have folding hinges; others are telescopic, but all are more or less convenient, and on the whole more so than landing-nets.

Steady nerves are required to gaff a big pike properly. On several occasions I have nearly lost a fine fish through the nervousness of an angling companion, who has through an erratic stroke nearly broken my line instead of gaffing the fish, and would have succeeded in doing so had I not dropped my rod point, slackened the line, and played the fish another minute or two before bringing it again to the gaff. I much prefer to gaff fish myself, and my invariable practice is to pull the gaff-point in, at, or between the under jawbones; then the hold is certain, and it never disfigures a fish, an important thing if the pike is large enough for a specimen.

I have seen some anglers gaff just wherever they could, sometimes through the check or in the back,

TELESCOPIC-GAFF.

and worst of all in the belly, ripping it all across and completely disfiguring and spoiling the fish. A pike should be quite played out and well in hand before it is drawn within gaffing distance; and when it is, then the gaffer should not hesitate. but make his stroke with certainty, and draw, not lift, the fish ashore.

Mr. Pennell advocates behind the shoulder as the best place to gaff a pike. It is a safe place, no doubt; but the flesh is apt to be torn if the pike writhes and struggles, which it usually does. As already stated, my favourite position is in the under

jaw between the jaw-bones, and then to draw the fish ashore head first; but if any lifting is required, I place my thumb and middle finger of my left hand in the fish's eyes, and grasp the iron of the gaff with my right, and lift the fish ashore or into my punt. Landing nets are useful for fish under 8 or 10 lbs.; the net should be capacious and deep, the ring large. My own pike net has a folding ring of steel, 20 ins. in diameter. Large nets are not necessarily cumbrous, but to prevent them holding water and hooks sticking in the meshes, the nets should be of oiled silk or flax cord, dressed in a waterproofing varnish, and the handle 5 or 6 feet long, so as to reach over the sedges and rushes which usually margin the banks of a river. When by myself, with no one to carry my impedimenta, I use no net, but only a gaff slung over my left shoulder, where it is handy but out of the way, while I am fishing alongside a river.

Most useful additions to a pike-angler's comfort (inasmuch as excoriated and bitten fingers are avoided, and much time is saved in extracting hooks from a fish's mouth) are pike-gags. A few years ago I invented and patented one which answers its purpose completely, and has been well spoken of by those anglers who have used them in rivers and the sea.

The knob D is for killing the fish by knocking it on the head. The prongs E, F (which should be previously closed) are then inserted in the pike or salmon's mouth; B or D is held by the left hand, and the handle A turned round, when the prong F is drawn down the spiral rod C C, and the mouth of the fish distended to any width required, so that the hooks or salmon fly can be extracted

without injury to tackle or fingers. By the use of this gag, unsizeable pike can be returned alive and uninjured to the water. These gags will prolong the life of many an expensive salmon fly.

D.

B

A.

E.

Since patenting the above I have invented a less expensive, and simple but powerful pike-gag. It is made of strong steel wire ending in prongs, which are placed in the pike's jaws, and expanded by drawing down the brass slide when the jointed arm, or crosspicce, can be fixed in position; it is

then impossible the pike can close its jaws. In the coil of the wire is a knob of lead, with which to stun the pike, preparatory to extracting the spinning-flight, or snap-tackle, &c.