THE PERCH OF STILL WATERS 245 



firm to the blush by saying how it was at his shop I 

 bought that curious construction of hooks mounted 

 on pig's bristles to make them project, barrel-shaped 

 pieces of pierced ivory on which they revolved, arid 

 gut stout enough to hold a salmon. There was, too, 

 a lead of considerable weight at the end. Not a bad 

 gear for sea fishing, perhaps, but to a perch of refined 

 and delicate susceptibility it was an insult. Francis 

 Francis, I think it was, who almost scoffed this tackle 

 out of existence. I say ' almost,' for I have reason 

 to suppose that examples of it may still be found in 

 some -of the old-fashioned tackle shops which date 

 from the time when the London citizens, after their 

 day of easy toil, would go, rod in hand, to catch 

 roach or perch from the buttresses of London Bridge. 

 That day on the banks of Godstone mill-pool was 

 a memorable one to me. There came a grown man 

 who I now know was a fraud, but then regarded as 

 an improved form of Izaak Walton. He had brought 

 a can of minnows all the way from London, and with 

 them was going to do great things. He told me to 

 fish with worms, and I remember that I had to dig 

 them first, which I did not like ; but he lent me one 

 of the wonderful paternosters with twirling bristles. 

 And, strange to say, the perch, which were unaccus- 

 tomed to minnows but knew the sight of a worm 





