118 FISHES AN^D FISHING. 



tions of some fish from others, when they are hooked. 

 Boys living near a trout stream are great adepts in 

 catching these fish hy tickling them. A rather ludi- 

 crous circumstance happened relative to this mode of 

 taking fish. I was approaching Hack Bridge, near 

 Carshalton, one morning, on my way to a private 

 water, when I found there three gentlemen, who were 

 about to angle, with worms as their bait. Though 

 their tackle was good for that purpose, I saw that two 

 of them did not know how to use it, and they made 

 no secret of their incapacity ; the third assumed an 

 oracular hearing, and dictated to the two neophytes; 

 as they were getting their rods put together, a hoy 

 who had been lying on the grass close to the river, 

 approached with a trout struggling in his hands of 

 about a pound, and asked the head of the party if he 

 would buy ; which he did most eagerly for a shilKng. 

 I left them, fished till evening, and having taken a 

 place in the coach, I found on entering it the would- 

 be angler and his two friends, whom I had seen in the 

 morning, but it being quite an en passant affair, he 

 did not recollect me ; he asked me if I had had any 

 sport, and I shewed him two brace of beautiful fish 

 which called forth their admiration. I, in return, 

 enquired what success they had met with ; he re- 

 plied he had caught a very fine trout. *' What !*' said 

 I, ** beside the one you bought ?*' His Mends and 



