LEAVES FKOM A GAME BOOK. 119 



turned into a red-letter one, for on the lower readies of 

 the Dee it is a rare event for anyone to ta,ke five clean 

 spring fish in one day out of any waters lying below 

 Banchory Bridge. 



During this April I also made a very remarkable 

 catch of a fourteen-pounder out of " The Sandy 

 Havens " on the Kineskie water, landing my fish 

 without a hook in him ! It gave me a splendid run, 

 and on eventually gaffing it we discovered it was not 

 hooked at all ; it had only come at the minnow in a 

 half-hearted way, and in turning from it the lure had 

 swung under one of the pectoral fins, while the triangle 

 catching over the line drew a loop round the base of 

 the fin, which had pulled so tight that it took longer 

 to disentangle than if the hook had been in the usual 

 place. 



During November came more sport at Stoke Court 

 with Mr. Allhusen, at Hall Barn and Burnham Beeches ; 

 also three very nice days of partridge driving with 

 Charles Eley at East Bergholt, Edward Quilter, Berkeley 

 Lucy, and Col. Halford making up the party, all of 



