204 WOODLAND, MOOR, AND STREAM 



his wings in fine style, but not for long. He had not 

 fluttered a yard's distance on the surface before a 

 swirl was seen in the deep water, and a vicious snap, 

 like that of a dog, heard ; I had hooked ' one o' they 

 big 'uns.' My tackle was strong and the hook of a 

 particular pattern called ' snap.' Knowing by his 

 tearing pull that I had hooked him firmly, I pro- 

 ceeded to punish him, and before five minutes were 

 over he was landed. He was a fine fish, but not 

 really 'a big 'un.' It is wonderful what a size 

 creatures that live in the water are said to be, parti- 

 cularly fish. 



Much has been written about playing fish. The 

 play for the angler is when the fish kicks on the 

 grass. When a good fish is hooked the sooner you 

 get him landed the better. 



I once fished a bit of water well stocked with 

 pike ; in fact, the pond was full of them ; and I did 

 not get a run. As I was about to pack up, having 

 got impatient over my ill-luck, a man in the dress of 

 a farm labourer sauntered up. 



' Have ye had any sport, master ? ' he asked. 



' Not a run.' 



' I doan't wunner at it a bit ; an' I reckens as ye 

 wunt hev, if ye fishes for 'em in the fashion ye hev 

 bin.' 



