THE rector's pool. 141 



your first essay. So lay your gut-line in the 

 water to soak meanwhile. It is this little brook 

 on our left, and the rector's garden-wall on the 

 right, which constitute the boundaries of the 

 pool. There is capital fishing below, from the 

 garden; but leave that for the worthy rector's 

 private use, for the present. It is ground strictly 

 private, and not to be entered upon but by express 

 leave or invitation. Besides, I owe him especial 

 courtesy in this respect, for having run away with 

 a goodly fish which he might almost have reckoned 

 his own. 'Twas a memorable event, happening 



in the year , the day before I packed off to 



London, at the close of my season. I had been 

 out just above here, to the Quay Stream, "to 

 cast along and lingering look behind," or rather 

 " to cast a long and lingering line before." There 

 I rose and struck a glorious fellow ; but it was 

 with a hi'oken hook ! and all I saw of my supposed 

 last fish of that year, was thirty-six inches length 

 of bright solid flesh arching a leap of some six 

 yards diameter as, in his joy, he escaped me. In 

 despair I wound up my reel-line, and deposited 

 gut and fly in my pocket, as I thought for the 

 season. In my way home I called on my worthy 

 friend the rector, to say " good-bye," and a good- 

 bye it proved, for, after much persuasion, he 

 induced me to throw down yon pool from his 

 garden-wall, where he had raised a fish twice the 



