FISHES AND FISHING. 137 



taking up the net, for the person on one side holds 

 the leathern end of the pole over to his companion, 

 who fastens the top line to it, when the net is drawn 

 across. One net will answer in a less degree : place 

 the net across, and go a considerable distance from it 

 before you begin to beat the water, and beat up to 

 the net, or two persons each beating up to the side 

 of the net next to him ; the moment a fish touches 

 the net, the bungs begin to dip under. This kind of 

 net is calculated for narrow, nearly still waters. 



I was walking in a field between Chertsey and 

 Laleham Eerry, before it was inclosed, one very hot 

 day, and approaching a small pond covered with 

 broad-leaved aquatic plants, which pond was con 

 nected with the Thames by a ditch, then almost dry, 

 I saw something moving amongst the leaves, which 

 I thought were large frogs, as I saw plenty of small 

 ones about the place ; but looking closer, I saw they 

 were good-sized pike, which were lying with their 

 snouts just even with the surface of the water. I 

 went home, heated and straitened a large cod hook, 

 made the point very sharp, reduced the barb, and 

 made it a sort of cutting edge, made the end of the 

 shank a little taper, hardened the whole again suffi 

 ciently, thus making a sort of harpoon, whipped a 

 length of strong line to the middle of it, fitted a piece 

 of wood into the top joint but one of a stout trolling 



