252 WITH THE WOODLANDERS. 



this pond has not been looked after or cared for, 

 beyond not being suffered to be fished to death. 



If you were allowed a day's fishing, you were 

 not supposed to ask for another directly after- 

 wards; as no one did so, all things went well. 

 The fish were of a nice size, from a pound in 

 weight up to two pounds real beauties, that 

 would take a nice worm freely. I have lived to 

 see waters that teemed with fish at one time 

 ruined and made almost tenantless by modern 

 bungling or improvements so called. Fish are 

 quite capable of taking care of themselves if al- 

 lowed to do it ; they know what suits them better 

 than we do. 



The very best fish I have ever seen or eaten, 

 and the most handsome I have ever painted, were 

 odd fish, got from odd bits of water, where they 

 had been left for years with all their natural 

 enemies, man excepted, to take their own chance. 



