FRANCIS FRANCIS. 193 



horse and us to grief, at last arriving at the stream ; 

 in the meadow opposite the keeper's cottage we 

 fitted up our rods, and mounting gut-paternoster 

 with two hooks, we fished with a well-scoured 

 worm nearest the plummet, and a minnow or small 

 gudgeon on the top hook. Keeping a couple of 

 yards from the bank, we dropped our baits 

 over the rush-fringed margins into all the deep 

 water at the bends of the stream, and caught 

 many fair-sized perch and chub, among the latter a 

 few from 2\ Ibs. to 3 Ibs., also half a dozen jack, 

 one a seven-pounder. 



And so, fishing on through nut and hazel cop- 

 pices, we at length reached the old brick bridge, with 

 its wooden rails overgrown with wild clematis and 

 honeysuckle. Here we took off our paternoster 

 tackle, for the water widened out into a shallow- 

 lake ; and as the breeze blowing down the valley 

 made a fine ripple on this lagoon, we mounted 

 pike spinning-gear, with 5 -inch dace for lures. 



Looking up to the hilly park above, an angler, 

 moved by the beauties of Nature and where is 

 there a true disciple of Izaak Walton who is not ? 

 would be enraptured by the sight of hundreds of 

 splendid fir trees crowning the heights ; grand 

 gnarled giants, planted there by James the First, 

 or at least in his reign. 



We were now at the little lake, and Francis was 

 ready to make a cast across the channel to just 

 below where the stream flowed in. His bait flew 

 straight towards and close up to the sedgy mar- 

 gin, dropped in without a splash, began to spin 

 athwart the water, when a bulgy wave unmistak- 

 ably showed a good fish had sprung at the lure ; 

 Francis spun his bait no faster : he was always cool 



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