194 THE PERCH. 



when fishing. A second more his line tightened, 

 and he had struck a fine fish, which fought hard to 

 gain his stronghold, where no doubt many previous 

 anglers had come to grief through broken tackle. 



The fish was brilliantly played, past and under 

 boughs overhanging the stream, by dipping the rod- 

 point down to the water ; and I had the satisfaction 

 of gaffing a fifteen-pounder for my old friend, one 

 of the prettiest pike of its size I had ever seen. 

 Then came my opportunity. I tried the water 

 round about, spinning over every portion of it 

 slowly and carefully ; and about twenty yards 

 below rose a fish, hooked and played it, bring- 

 ing to grass in about ten minutes a nice pike of 

 12 Ibs. This was encouraging ; and fish fed so 

 well that by the time we reached the stone bridge 

 at one o'clock, where our friend and the keeper 

 were waiting us, with a basket containing a cold 

 loin of roast pork and other toothsome fare from 

 my friend's farm, also a large stone jar of brown 

 October ale, we were able to show them a baker's 

 dozen of pike, besides the perch and chub. 



Beyond the stone bridge the stream again widens, 

 deeper water flowing through the centre arch along 

 a channel down the middle of the lagoon to the weir. 

 Much of this can be fished by floating a livebait 

 down from the bridge ; and all the water covered 

 with a spinning-bait from either bank. We adopted 

 both methods, and captured some more sizeable 

 jack, the largest not exceeding 8 Ibs. weight. There 

 were shoals of young carp and roach swimming in 

 this water ; but dace were deadly bait, no doubt 

 the pike appreciated a change of diet. 



Snipe abound here the boggy meadows of the 

 valley just suit them, afford plenty of food, and the 



