Fight Between Fish.

Otago Witness, Issue 2840, 19 August 1908, Page 80

Fight Between Fish.

— Monster Pike Escapes One Fate to Meet Another. — The following authentic account of a pike adventure is given by a correspondent of the Field : — Whilst" fishing for trout in Lough Corrib j from Olonbur, I_ heard what I thought was a. salmon jumping, but as this sound was repeated several times, I looked about to see whence it proceeded. Presently, about 200 yard# off, I saw $he water being lashed into foam and a thing like the head and 2ft or 3ft of body of a ©erpent throwing itself froni 6ide to sidfe, and sometimes apparently standing almost erect in the water. It might have been taken for a seaserpent or water-horse by some of the fishermen who firmly believe in the existence of the latter in these lakes. It suddenly occurred to me that it might bo a battle between two huge pike, so I ordered the boatmen; to row gently to the spot. All of a sudden there was an extra b : g 6plash, and a huge fish flung itself out of ! the water, and lay rolling on the surface. ' - Gently the boat got within a few feet of the fish, which I now saw waa a pike, anfl as it rolled over I slipped my net underneath at and igot it into the boat, where it wss dtespatoheoV. v It turned out to be a pike 44in in length, weighing nearly 201b ; length of head lli'n. It had apparently been seized by another pike from the tail end, •«s its tail above, the dorsal fin was badly bitten. Evidently the victim", owing to its s'ze and.; strength, could not be swallowed by the- would-be captor, and freed itself just , as boat reached the scene of the 'battle.