216 WOODLAND, MOOR, AND STREAM 



Now for it ; a side cast, the minnow drops gently 

 on the water about two feet from his nose, and with a 

 rush the trout has it Feeling the hook he turns for 

 his stronghold, but we stop that. Then he springs 

 off the shallow and comes down on his side, smash, 

 making the water fly. He is humoured to his heart's 

 content, and after a game fight on his part he is 

 landed, a beauty weighing a pound and a half. 



The carp is a fine-looking fellow with his golden 

 olive-brown back and sides. The edges of his scales 

 are golden yellow and his belly is yellowish white ; 

 the fins are dark brown. Still water suits his rumi- 

 nating disposition ; the place to look for him is a 

 pool or pond with great clumps of flag round about 

 it, and masses of water weeds, with channels running 

 between them, which lead out to the open spots of 

 deep water. I say to look for him ; to catch him is 

 a very different matter, for he is crafty as a fox in 

 regard to bait. On a warm summer evening you 

 may see the carp moving about in all directions ; 

 their great back fins showing above the water. Some 

 of them weigh four, and some as much as seven 

 pounds. One peculiarity about hooking a carp is 

 that you are almost sure to do it when you are fish- 

 ing for some other fish which differs entirely in its 

 ways and habits. He is a strong creature, and 



