WATERS OF YOUTH 17 



on the grass a noble sight. They averaged about three 

 quarters of a pound, and the first was the biggest. After- 

 wards a day was set aside for a real onslaught on the 

 roach, and it was a day to remember. The fish bit with 

 the enthusiasm of inexperience ; probably they had 

 never seen a hook and line before, and on the ebb they 

 were caught literally as fast as the line could be rebaited 

 and dropped in. On the flow they bit, too, but more 

 gingerly, while at slack water they would only bite 

 now and then. The catch at the close of day was far 

 and away the biggest I ever made as a boy, and I have 

 only equalled it once or twice since. 



There was no great roach day after that. It may 

 have been that all the big ones in the creek were 

 caught. In the pond itself nothing over half a pound 

 came to the net. But fishing there incidentally revealed 

 something else that was worthy of note. One evening 

 a small roach that had just been hooked was seized by 

 an invisible monster, which ran out the line and broke 

 it. On the morrow pike tackle was brought to bear 

 on the situation, valuable assistance being rendered by 

 a family retainer who was as keen a fisher as I, and 

 more expert. A small live roach was sent out with a 

 float to entice the fish of prey. Very soon there was a 

 run, the float went under, and stayed under. But a 

 strike only lost the bait and hooked nothing. A second 

 time this happened, and a third. Then the snap tackle 

 was taken off, a strong single hook was substituted for 

 it, and time was given at the next attack. These 

 tactics were in a measure successful, but only in a 

 measure. A very powerful fish was hooked, but it 

 went straight into some unseen obstacle at the bottom 



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