Paying the Pike. 85 



done up now, I put on a new one, and while I was doing so, " Hi, hi, 

 hi ! " came down the hank, and away went Alfred to assist J. in landing 

 a five-pounder, while I spun on for twenty or thirty yards without a touch. 



Alfred had returned, and was relating to me the incidents of the 

 last course, when in mid-stream I got a heavy pull, and, giving the fish 

 a severe "rugg," I was soon at the old game again. Up stream he went, 

 down stream he went, and then up again, and then, like a salmon, he 

 made two leaps into the air, falling hack with a hang, and showing 

 inches which seemed ahout the counterpart of the last fish, and brought 

 my heart into my mouth. 



Fortunately, the hooks held, and after ten or twelve minutes' tender 

 handling, for, having just lost a good one twice, he rather alarmed me 

 into the prevalent notion that he was lightly hooked in consequence of his 

 jumping ; hut it was not so, he was well hooked, only the flying tail hooks 

 had caught him outside near the eye, poor beast ! After ten or twelve 

 minutes, I repeat, Alfred managed to spoon him out, and, having earned 

 it, I lighted a weed, and thought the day was hopeful. After this 

 I got a nice little fish of 41b., which was the lowest size allowed, but, 

 resolved to do the liberal thing, I turned him in again, as I did a 

 three-pounder just after. Then there was another " Hi, hi, hi ! " from 

 J., and once more Alfred made tracks, and assisted in the landing of an 

 eight-pounder. 



I still worked on down towards the willow tree I mentioned. The stump 

 projected out over the water, and there was a deep hole and eddy under 

 it, any fisherman would spot it for a good fish; halfway across the 

 stream the hole shallowed up to about three or four feet deep. " Now, 

 carefully, carefully," and seeing that my bait spun well, and that all 

 was clear, I sent it careering across the shallow and brought it whirling 

 round into the hole, " heave and pull, heave and pull." It works into a 

 straight line just below the willow stump, and comes darting past the 

 stump. " Now or never." 



" Confound the fish, he's either not at home or not hungry." 



"I see him feeding on the shaller and makin' the baits fly, rarely," said 

 Alfred, " and I judge he's a 171b. or 181b. fish; I've seed him many times." 



