28 AN ANGLER'S LINES. 



couple of days on our water; there is always a 

 good fish taken in February," I rejoiced 

 exceedingly, for, in addition to having his 

 cheery companionship, was there hot a chance 

 of realising my long -cherished ambition of 

 securing a twenty -pounder. 



At the end of the first day I retired to 

 bed slightly perturbed, for, despite most 

 favourable conditions of weather and water, 

 and a total and reckless disregard on my part 

 of the value of live bait, the result had been 

 one solitary fish which, not to put too fine a 

 point upon it, was somewhere about 19 Ib. 

 short of my modest standard. 



The following morning I inquired of my 

 friend what he thought of the leaden sky that 

 greeted our re -appearance at the river side. 



" Not much," was his reply, and the tone 

 discouraged further remarks on the subject. 

 Acting upon the keeper's advice, I swung my 

 dace on float paternoster to the far side of the 

 pool and waited for the coming of the twenty- 

 pounder. As I waited, something cold and 



