WITH ROD AND LINE 225 



near Watford, were also frequent retreats which lured me, and 

 there I have caught (but not with much favour) wriggling Eels 

 in plenty. On one occasion towards the close of my fishing 

 career, I landed a male and female Eel within five minutes of 

 one another. Both fish measured exactly three feet in length, 

 and were the thickness of my wrist. 



Happy days were those that I spent by the Colne at Bricket 

 Wood. There was keen competition among the party for posses- 

 sion of a favourite Roach swim and a well-known Perch hole. 

 There were Crayfish there, too. This latter is, of course, a 

 crustacean, and I used to wade into the shallow parts of the 

 stream, and catch with my hands a number of these fresh-water 

 Lobsters. Large Chub haunted a deep channel under overhang- 

 ing trees, but I cannot remember that we ever succeeded in landing 

 one of these wary monsters. 



FIG. 92. TROUT. 



Just before the River Colne joins the Ver, the latter pleasant 

 stream meanders rapidly over a gravelly bed, and it was there 

 our lobworm sometimes meant a deadly bait for a lazy Trout. 

 This reminds me that the greatest day I ever experienced with 

 this sporting fish was somewhere in the same vicinity. One memor- 

 able day ten brace of Trout fell to my own rod from a shallow 

 stream which emerged from the lake in a fine old-timbered park. 

 Each fish averaged over two pounds in weight, and, in addition, 

 a number of coarse fish were also included in the day's bag. 



It may not have been true sport, but a very happy fisherman 

 left the river-side at nightfall, when the heavy mist proclaimed 

 the close of day, and quivering Bats heralded the approach of 

 night. I have seen Pike caught in the lake I have in mind up 

 to twenty pounds, but the largest catch of this fish of which I 

 have a record fell to three rods in Leicestershire on January 30th, 

 1903, when twenty-six fish, weighing 236 pounds, were secured. 

 The largest Pike that has passed through my hands weighed 



