CHANCE SHOTS AND ODD FISH. 249 



strikes, up comes the float and line, minus the 

 stout gut and perch-hook. "That's a jack, hold 

 hard ! I'll have ye ! " From his hat he fetched 

 a gimp trace with a small pike-hook whipped on ; 

 and this time Billy put two large lob-worms on, 

 and threw in. Down went the float as before. 



After a few moments, up it popped, and then 

 went down : the old boy struck all right this time, 

 as he said ; and he landed as nice a pike with 

 his primitive-looking tackle as any one would wish 

 to see. 



Baiting with a couple again, just to see if there 

 was another, but without any result, he changed 

 his trace for a gut perch-hook as before, and went 

 on fishing. Bream, roach, dace, and perch did he 

 keep pulling out of that hole, all large fish, until 

 he had a great flashing scaly heap behind him ; 

 in fact, he said he thought he must leave a few 

 for another day. But the best of the sport was 

 yet to come. 



A few yards up the stream, a great pollard 

 stem jutted half across it under water, forming a 

 sort of dam in the stream. The water was per- 

 fectly quiet, and clearer than it was in the hole. 



