1 96 THE PERCH. 



for the purpose of obtaining a head of water for 

 irrigating the meadows ; and in the small pool 

 below the weir a few fine trout can usually be seen. 

 Here ten or a dozen years ago a large one of 5 Ibs. 

 was caught with a fly ; and a brace a fifth that size 

 can often be taken on a favourable evening. 



On reaching the farmhouse we found our host 

 had invited three neighbours to meet us and spend 

 the evening. Two of them were farmers living a 

 mile or so away ; the other, a cattle-dealer and 

 meat-contractor for Aldershot camp, which is dis- 

 tant some six or eight miles ; they were jolly 

 fellows and good all-round sportsmen. Francis 

 Francis was exactly in his element ; and with 

 much chat about angling, shooting and coursing, 

 we passed some very pleasant hours, until the near 

 approach of midnight broke up our merry party. 

 The next day we had a delightful ride through 

 grassy lanes ; the hedgerows on either side were 

 planted with oaks and elms ; the foliage was beauti- 

 ful even then, in its late autumn tints. By nine 

 o'clock we had completed our six miles drive, and 

 arrived at the waters we were to fish two lakes ; 

 the largest, fifty acres in extent ; the other, about 

 thirty acres, a few fields distant, on a higher level. 

 A small brook, formed by the overflow of the top 

 lake, meandered between the two, finally leaping 

 down two or three pretty cascades into the lowest 

 and more important sheet of water, near to which, 

 on a gently sloping acclivity, stood the mansion, a 

 handsome edifice, erected in the early part of the 

 century. Here again we were impressed with the 

 magnificence of the timber and the grand masses 

 of evergreens of all kinds. The place was beauti- 

 fully laid out and trimly kept such a marked 



