22 BT ROOK AND BY CROOK. 



the river longer tlian the autumn fish^ and^ in conse- 

 quence, afford the angler more sport. 



To resume : the condition of the fish they capture 

 and the amount of sport afforded in the process appear 

 to some anglers to be secondary considerations, as 

 compared with the actual attainment of something for 

 the pot; the golden- coloured fish which has been in 

 the river for weeks hanging about a pool until the milt 

 is almost dropping out of him is quite as desirable an 

 acquisition as the fresh-run autumn fish ; a fish is a fish 

 to him, and he may be observed sticking for days to- 

 gether into a pool of slow-running water, from which 

 he occasionally hauls an old red he with as much satis- 

 faction as he would a fresh-run fish. 



Such anglers must know from the nature of the deep 

 silent pool that it is no resting-place for a fresh fish ; 

 they can see the great red hes wallowing now and again 

 upon its surface, yet delight to confine their efforts to 

 their capture ; and should they perchance at the termi- 

 nation of the day's sport (?) have three or more killed 

 on the bank, the thin flanks and golden scales will not 

 detract one iota from the pride of their achievement. 



We lately met one of these sportsmen (?) who was 

 gloating over the capture of three such fish, weighing 

 from 25 lb. to 30 lb. apiece, of a deep golden colour 

 from head to tail, and ornamented with snouts like that 

 of a pig. We had watched him land them from the 

 opposite bank, and the process was simple in the ex- 

 treme, for as soon as the fish was hooked he sulked 



