FRESH-WATER FISHES 217 



requires judicious treatment to bring him to grass. 

 And when one has got him there, what to do with 

 him is a question, at least to myself, with whom he 

 is not the favourite he was with the monks of old, 

 who were supposed to be good judges in the matter 

 of eating. After admiring him as a fine bit of fish 

 study I have generally restored him to his native 

 element, very little the worse for what he has under- 

 gone, for he is a regular die-hard of a fish. 



The tench is beautifully coloured in tints of 

 greenish gold, light salmon colour, brown and olive. 

 I used to know a rare hold for tench, and many a 

 nicely cooked three-pounder has made a toothsome 

 meal for me and mine. The Valley Farm lies back 

 a meadow's length from the river where it flows over 

 broad shallows, although here and there pools of 

 great depth occur. The farm is old and picturesque- 

 looking ; great fronds of fern flourish in the cracks of 

 the old wall that surrounds it, while moss clothes the 

 sides, which are quaintly quartered with great oak 

 timbers, worn silver grey with age. The roof is 

 covered with large stone slabs, weather-beaten, and 

 of varied hues, ranging from browns to greys, 

 and dotted over with patches of house leek. The 

 chimneys are rare specimens of good old-fashioned 

 brickwork, such as is not often seen in these days 



