FISHES AND FISHING. 213 



our dessert, I stated that Mr. M. had defied me, by 

 whatever art I was master of, to catch any of the fish 

 in his canal. I then said, I had found them too well 

 fed to take the bait I offered them, and therefore 

 resorted to another species of art ; and producing my 

 triangular hooks, showed how I had beaten Mr. M. 

 He laughed as heartily as any of the rest; and I 

 advised him, if ever he defied another angler to catch 

 his trout, to make a stipulation that it should be by 

 fair fishing, 



Mr. M. introduced me to a Mr. W., who had- a 

 legitimate trout stream, very much over-stocked, for 

 he seldom took any out for his own use, or as presents, 

 and never invited any one to angle, unless he was 

 quite sure they either were not anglers, or that they 

 had no tackle. I went to his house and grounds one 

 day with Mr. M., who was resolved, with my assist- 

 ance, to play off a practical joke upon Mr. W, I 

 took with me my disguised fly rod, and whilst Mr. 

 W. was regretting that he had no tackle, or he should 

 have been delighted to have seen me catch some of 

 his trout, I turned to my friend M., and said, "Well, 

 we can go another day angling to where you pro- 

 posed taking me, and for which I brought my tackle ; 

 and as Mr. W. says it will give him such pleasure to 

 see me catch some trout, I will, with his leave, begin." 

 Mr. M. could with difficulty restrain his laughter, and 



