FRESH-WATER FISHES 21 1 



four to five feet in depth, where the trees that once 

 grew close to the edge of the water have been rooted 

 up in a storm and have torn portions of the bank 

 away ; the whole length of the brook, in fact, is a 

 succession of holes and shallows. Green weeds wave 

 in long bunches to and fro, as the water runs merrily 

 on to the next mill, causing that nice curl round the 

 holes that both fish and anglers like. There are 

 gudgeon and roach as well as minnows in the stream, 

 rare feed for the perch when they can be caught ; but 

 the small fish avoid the deep holes as much as possible 

 in a very knowing manner, as though well aware of the 

 fact that large mouths are there, ready to swallow 

 them. 



I am lingering on the old bridge to see what 

 sport that lad who is coming across the meadow from 

 the farmhouse will get. His rod is a bean-stick, the 

 line thin water-cord, and the hook of the kind called 

 ' gimp.' I know this because he produced them from 

 his pocket to get my opinion on them this morning 

 early. He is only twelve years old, but he has a most 

 decided aptitude for fishing. His float is a wine- 

 bottle cork, and his bait worms that he has just dug 

 up from the garden. Before beginning he walks very 

 quietly along the edge of the brook, peering over into 

 one hole r.nd then into the next. This one suits him, 



P2 



