JANUARY 33 



two, but both of these latter were nice fish, one running 

 nearly 6lbs. and the last a fine female fish of lOJlbs. 



As the darkness came, the wind dropped, and we had 

 a pleasant row home and sat down to a comfortable 

 dinner, the writer coming back to London by the train 

 leaving Buckenham about a quarter to seven and get- 

 ting home about midnight, tired and satisfied with the 

 day's sport. 



Such days are now, alas 1 not so easily obtainable, as 

 good pike-fishing is everywhere run after. Still, every 

 now and then most anglers get the chance of a day on 

 water that has been little fished and where the methods 

 here advocated can be applied with great success. A 

 few seasons back the writer and a friend had permission 

 for a day's fishing on a private lake in Buckingham- 

 shire. By some error regarding the date the boat had 

 been taken up by the son-in-law of the proprietor and a 

 friend. These gentlemen, on our arrival, offered us 

 the boat, but, of course, we declined with thanks. 



As the lake could not be easily fished from the bank, 

 the land steward suggested that we should try his mill- 

 head, where the miller complained that a pike was eating 

 his young ducks. We tried the water, which was only 

 about eighty yards in length and about ten or twelve 

 yards across, and in an hour and three-quarters we took 

 with live-bait six brace of pike, the best brace 121bs. and 

 1 l^lbs. each, and so on gradually downwards, the last 

 pair, which were returned, being 3^1bs. and 41bs. 

 apiece. They seemed to appreciate Thames dace and 

 took the bait as soon as it was in the water. 



The fish made a grand show on the bank and some- 

 what surprised the land-steward, who said he had never 

 heard of such a catch, even in the lake. There was 

 little wonder that the miller's young ducks were going, 

 for it seemed almost impossible that such a small piece 

 of water could support so many good pike. From the 

 same water in the summer time I have seen fine roach 

 of l|lbs. taken, so probably there is good feed for these 

 fish, upon which the jack rely. 



As live-baiting on the roving-float system will not be 



