28 FISHES I HAVE KNOWN 



me and another boy with him whenever he had 

 leave to fish in any of the fine parks that 

 studded the district. In one of these parks was 

 a lake containing carp of enormous size and 

 age. Dr. Primrose used to sit for hours on a 

 camp-stool, solemnly smoking a big meerschaum 

 pipe, watching for a nibble, and trying all kinds 

 of lure in the shape of paste. Close by were 

 water-lilies and horse-tail reeds in abundance, 

 and, inexperienced as I was, I knew that if 

 he hooked a fish it would instantly make for 

 the reeds. I also knew that it was not much 

 use to fish for carp except early in the morning 

 or late in the evening. Therefore I was not 

 surprised that in the blazing sun the patient 

 angler never got a bite. Just as the sun was 

 going down, he thought of a plan. He allowed 

 the bait a well-selected red worm to hang over 

 a large water-lily leaf, and when, in response to his 

 call, I ran up to him from the pursuit of trout in 

 the upper part of the lake, I found him playing 

 a very large carp that kept boring away to the 

 friendly cover of the water-plants. 



Gallantly the fight went on, but the line was 

 so very fine that he dared not put any strain 

 on it, and the carp slowly neared the reeds, and, 

 to our disgust, slipped into them, breaking the 



