A CAT FISH. 85 



his MS.), " lives in that river all the year round. It is 

 a large and yellow fish, with a great mouth, and feeds 

 chiefly on salmon spawn, moles, mice, frogs, &c. A 

 curious circumstance once happened to me at Pulney 

 Loch. One of my sons threw a live mouse into it, when 

 a large trout took the mouse down immediately. The 

 boy told me what had happened ; so I took my fishing 

 rod, which was leaning against my house close to the 

 loch, and put a fly on. At the very first throw I hooked 

 a large trout, landed it, and laid it on the walk : in two 

 seconds the mouse ran out of its mouth, and got into a 

 hole in the wall before I could catch it." Thus far 

 John Crerar. 



" The mouse that is content with one poor hole 

 Can never be a mouse of any soul." 



I believe every author on the subject, from the time 

 of dear Isaak Walton to the present day, has taken some 

 pains to vindicate the amusement of angling. For this 

 purpose they have quoted men eminent for humanity, 

 illustrious for science, and famed for high achievement 

 — philosophers, warriors, divines, — who have been dear 

 lovers of the sport.* But does it require this vin- 

 dication? For myself, far from being surprised that 

 distinguished men have delighted in fishing, I only 

 wonder that any man can be illustrious who does not 



* When Sir Humphrey Davy was at Gisburn, the late Lord 

 Eibblesdale took him to see the celebrated Gorsdale Rocks, ex- 

 pecting they would astonish and interest him, and call forth some 

 very learned remarks ; but the great philosopher noticed only the 

 stream beneath them, which he scrutinised minutely, saying he was 

 sure there were no fish in it, or he should have discovered them. 



G 3 



