A WEEK WITH' HAMPSHIRE GRAYLING. 49 



for I had beaten the Major, my biggest fish weighing 

 2 oz. more than his biggest. He rose in a deep pool 

 on my side. I knew I could not throw up stream on 

 account of the wind, which would have tied me up at 

 once. I got above him and threw down in his face, 

 but keeping as much out of sight as possible. I had 

 a long throw, and came down upon him nicely ; he 

 took my fly, and, after a long struggle, Davis landed 

 him neatly, a good two-pounder. I was very proud, 

 but the Major humbled me by saying he would never 

 have had the cheek to make such a cast as mine. I 

 attribute that remark to envy. 



Monday, i%th. A dull day ; heavy rain in after- 

 noon. Major caught three and a half brace of gray- 

 ling. The present writer could only show one brace 

 of small fish. In the evening the Major was obliged to 

 return to the London Fetters, and for the remainder 

 of this week I shall miss his pleasant company and have 

 to look after my own hooks and lines and flies. 



Tuesday, iqfh. I deserted the river and took a 

 stroll through the ancient city of Winchester. I 

 wanted specially to see the Walton monument in the 

 cathedral, and was gratified to see it occupying so 

 honourable a niche on that grand screen which carries 

 the statues of so many worthies of the olden time. 



How this statue of Izaak Walton came to be erected 

 may be of some interest to my angling friends. Dean 

 Kitchin had already suggested that a niche on the 

 great screen hould be occupied by "the Father of 

 Angling," and Mr. H. T. Jenkins, of the Portsmouth 

 Waltonian Club, in a letter to "The Times," Sep- 

 tember 23rd, 1886, was the first to make the sugges- 

 E 



