40 FISHING FOR PLEASURE 



with the many struggles he had had, gave in for 

 a few minutes, then the Major moved over to 

 Arthur's corner, and at his first cast got hold of 

 something which caused a commotion in the 

 water. People on the bridge looked down and 

 passing boating parties stopped to see the fight. 

 Tell me not after this that chub cannot make a 

 struggle for life and liberty ! This monster fought 

 like a demon away out into the stream, then a 

 dash at the bank of tall reeds, which required all 

 the Major's skill to keep him out of, then he 

 tried to get under the boat, and the Major's little 

 champion fly-rod, bent double, failed to prevent 

 him getting under, and to get him back with fine 

 gut and only a small No. 10 hook in him cer- 

 tainly required the sure hand of a master. At 

 length he got him back from under the flat bottom 

 to the edge, and as he was making a further dash 

 for liberty into a bed of weeds the hook came 

 away. " He 's off! " mournfully sang the Major, 

 but the boatman managed by a very clever turn 

 of the hand at what might be called the psychical 

 moment, to get his big net under him and in 

 he came. I have seen thousands of chub at 

 different times of the ordinary size, but never 

 before had I seen such a perfect beauty as this 

 one. He was put alive into the well. We 

 gave up fishing for the day. On landing we 

 took him at once to the railway station. In 

 the station scales he weighed over 6 Ib. The 



