GUDGEON-FISHING. 3 



ambition is to catch a few dozen of gudgeons. 

 These are a peculiar class of persons in the art, and 

 are generally a little advanced in life. I frequently 

 see them safely deposited at the Bell, or Red Lion, 

 at Hampton (a good station for gudgeon-fishing), 

 and now and then the wife of one of them, a neat, 

 tidy, round, little woman, makes her way from the 

 inside of the coach. A punt is soon in requisition, 

 chairs are placed in it, a fisherman's apron, having 

 two pockets in it, is put on, and the party then 

 commence their operations, looking as happy, 

 patient, and contented as possible. I observe, also, 

 that bottled-porter and other prog is not forgotten, 

 and these are applied to while the ground is being 

 baited and raked, a necessary operation in gudgeon 

 fishing. Later in the evening, the party may be 

 seen in one of the neat little parlours of the Bell 

 Inn, enjoying their tea and other refreshments, and 

 deciding upon the important fact as to who caught 

 die most fish. The view from the windows of the 

 inn is one of the prettiest I know. The Thames 

 pursues its calm and steady course immediately 

 below it, while the celebrated Moulsey Hurst, with 

 its green and level turf, is seen on the opposite 

 bank, covered, as it generally is in summer, by 

 parties of cricketers. The ferry-boat is constantly 

 making its passage backwards and forwards, and 

 numerous boats and skiffs add to the pleasure and 

 interest of the scene. 



