BASS AND MULLET 193 



year was an unconcealed admission that he pre- 

 ferred the fish to remain accessible. Such a case 

 should engage the attention of the energetic 

 Salmon and Trout Association. 



Of the many difficulties that hampered me in 

 the capture of some bass duly brought to the net, 

 I came out by luck rather than of set purpose, 

 yet one or two of these episodes of narrow shaves 

 have some practical interest. On one occasion, 

 which I shall never forget, a heavy bass contrived 

 to double round the submerged chain of a floating 

 buoy. Naturally, that fish was given up for lost, 

 and it was rather with the idea of recovering what 

 remained of the gut than in any hope of still get- 

 ing on terms with the fish that I bade Cox row 

 the boat round in the same direction, so as to 

 unwind the line. Great was our surprise to find 

 the fish still on it says something for the six 

 feet of gut to have stood the strain and still 

 greater our delight when it headed full speed up- 

 stream, for out in the deep channel of the river 

 it was doomed. It is strange how often the instinct 

 of self preservation seems suddenly to desert a 

 wild creature and leave it at the mercy of circum- 

 stances. Here was a fish with cunning enough 

 to' double once round the chain, thereby taking 

 the pull of the rod off its mouth ; yet it never 

 occurred to it either to wrench itself free, or, being 

 pursued, to double again and thereby to baffle me 



14 (2272) 



