138 FISHES AND FISHING. 



rod, into which piece of wood I had bored a hole a 

 little way, to receive the shank of the hook, so that 

 it stood at a right angle with the rod ; I went back, 

 put up my tackle, and struck my harpoon as it might 

 be called, into the flesh, just behind the head of a 

 fine pike. The harpoon slipped out of the hole, as I 

 intended it should, and I hauled out on the grass my 

 prize, which weighed above five pounds. I caught 

 by the same means two more that day, not quite so 

 large ; the next day, one of six pounds ; the weather 

 then changed, and I got no more. I believe these 

 fish went up into this pond when the water in the 

 Thames was high, after the frogs ; the water fell, and 

 their retreat was cut off: they must have found 

 plenty of food, for they were in very fine condition. 



We had in our waters about the mill, great quan- 

 tities of pike, and seeing the devastation they caused 

 amongst other fish, I destroyed them whenever I 

 could by trimmers, snaring, shooting them with a 

 rifle, or any other means I could adopt. These fish 

 have, I am informed, committed great ravages in the 

 river near Canterbury ; in the Colne, near Drayton, 

 and Cowley ; in lochs Caterine and Lomond in Scot- 

 land, and in many other rivers, and waters where 

 there are trout. And I advise all anglers to show 

 this voracious fish no mercy. 



There was, and is I believe still, outside Oatlands 



