Sporting Sketches in Pen and Pencil. 



tender dimple on the water, a chuck of the line, and a prodigious rush. 

 He was a good fish, and fought well, but the water was deep, the bottom 

 clear, and it was a mere question of time, for out he came at last, 2 Jib. 

 I was very proud of that fish, and we walked slowly home to dinner with 

 such a dish of fish as hadn't been seen that year, having about twelve brace 

 between us that would go handy to 351b., three of them 21b. and over, and 

 several getting that way ; and, as the Claimant once said to me, " That 

 shan't be bad fishing." 



The pretty little sketch in the tail piece is an original sketch of 

 the sheep bridge at Houghton, made by Mr. Cooper for this purpose. The 

 Houghton Club formerly was very well known in piscatorial annals. Men 

 eminent in art and literature, of high rank and social standing, were the 

 members or visitors of this club. The club has often been written about, 

 and the sayings and doings of its members have been chronicled by pen and 

 pencil. Many of the subjects, scenes, and incidents in " Penn's Maxims 

 on Angling and Chess " were taken from it, and were drawn by Seymour. 

 The old plank bridge has seen many generations of anglers pass over it 

 with their long rods and huge landing nets. It is a favourite gossiping 

 station, and from it the anglers may behold on the magnificent shallows, 

 above and below, many a splendid fish rolling about, and making circles 

 when the fly is on. The old club has resolved itself into the Stockbridge 

 Club, pure and simple. The Houghton water has fallen into the hands of 

 Dr. Wickham, who has made a new Houghton Club, and has vastly 

 improved the water, as well as the stock of fish in it since it has come into 

 his hands, and for big fish I doubt if there is a better water in England now. 



'SPEAK WELL OF THE BRIDGE THAT CABBIES YOU OVEB." 



