118 LONDON ANGLER'S BOOK, 



A FOOLISH FISHER. 



Two Anglers passing down the towing path, opposite the Rye 

 House, near Hoddesden, observed a brother Bob fishing on the 

 other side, he was known to one of the party, who called to him, 

 'there you are, I see, making good the old saying about Anglers, 

 " a rod and line with a fool at one end, and a worm at the other." ' 

 The fisher was rather angry, and began to expostulate with the 

 speaker for this abusive expression, who replied that he was not 

 at all out of order, and Mr. Grimaldi must certainly acknowledge 

 it. It was old Joe Grimaldi the Clown, who, forgetting his 

 profession at the moment, did not see the joke. 



This water (formerly Sheppard's) now belongs to a 

 Mr. Webb, and contains fish of every description, of 

 good size and quality ; near the bridge there is good 

 Roach angling and some fine Perch ; up the meadow 

 to the right, facing the house, is famous for trolling, 

 and many good Chub swims ; at the top there is a 

 deep hole, called October hole, famous for its winter 

 sport. Tins house, like the Crown at Broxbourne, is 

 not a subscription house, but you are permitted to 

 angle by putting up at the house ; the attention here 

 is every thing that can be required, and a more 

 beautiful spot no Angler would desire; the charges 

 here are altogether reasonable/ the marshes about 

 these houses of the Lea are, in the winter, resorted to 

 by numerous snipes, and if the Angler is disappointed 



IK oa"uht, with Iht same fly, a quantity of fineChnb, some of which weighed 

 from 3 to 4lhs. and none less than one; in fact, his sport filled a large ham- 

 per, an 1 he astonished his envious broilu-is of the angle in town. 



