138 FISHES AND FISHING. 



rod, into which piece of wood I had bor,ed a hole a 

 little way, to receive the shank of the hook, so that 

 it stood at a right angle with the rod ; I went back, 

 put up my tackle, and struck ray harpoon as it might 

 be called, into the flesh, just behind the head of a 

 fine pike. The harpoon slipped out of the hole, as I 

 intended it should, and I hauled out on the grass my 

 prize, which weighed above five pounds. I caught 

 by the same means two more that day, not quite so 

 large ; the next day, one of six pounds ; the weather 

 then changed, and I got no more. I believe these 

 fish went up into this pond when the water in the 

 Thames was high, after the frogs ; the water fell, and 

 their retreat was cut off: they must have found 

 plenty of food, for they were in very fine condition. 



We had in our waters about the mill, great quan 

 tities of pike, and seeing the devastation they caused 

 amongst other fish, I destroyed them whenever I 

 could by trimmers, snaring, shooting them with a 

 rifle, or any other means I could adopt. These fish 

 have, I am informed, committed great ravages in the 

 river near Canterbury ; in the Colne, near Drayton, 

 and Cowley ; in lochs Caterine and Lomond in Scot 

 land, and in many other rivers, and waters where 

 there are trout. And I advise all anglers to show 

 this voracious fish no mercy. 



There was, and is I believe still, outside Oatlands 



