62 FISHES AND FISHING. 



boat, in which, taking hold of his rod, he followed the 

 fish round the pool, and after a considerable time, 

 tired and killed a fine salmon of twelve pounds 

 weight. 



In 1805, whilst angling at the Horse and Groom 

 fishery, Lea Bridge, I saw lying under the bank a 

 large fish. I put a worm opposite to his mouth, and 

 when he opened it, the worm went in, and I hooked 

 him. He did not leave me long in doubt as to what 

 he was. I had a solid trolling rod, forty yards of 

 platted silk line, and a stout gut bottom. My line was 

 soon nearly all run out. He was so strong that 

 it was hazardous to check him, and he soon shewed 

 me the bright side of a splendid salmon, by leaping 

 entirely out of water several times on the opposite 

 side of the river. I humoured his impetuous motions 

 as much as I could, by dropping the point of my rod, 

 which slackened the line sufficiently ; by degrees I 

 persuaded him to come a little nearer to me, and by 

 playing him into shallow water, where, as a French 

 gentleman said when he had hooked a large trout in 

 the Lullingstone waters, " Vat a dust he did kick 

 up." Finding him at length, as I thought, pretty 

 quiet, I stepped one foot into the water to get hold of 

 him, for I had neither landing net or hook, or any 

 one within hail; but the moment he saw me, he 

 darted off again, and if I had not had my rod upright 



