308 WHAT I HAVE SEEN WHILE FISHING 



how quickly bait the lady's hook ; and rake again, 

 until the fish had gathered from so far as the cloudy 

 water had travelled to tell them that there was a 

 disturbance above that must mean food ! 



No sport is so sure, no fish a bolder biter ; the 

 little cork float, weighted almost to vanishing point, 

 will disappear, time after time, until it may be you 

 have many dozens from your first pitch. 



At times a shoal of perch, attracted by the 

 movement of gudgeon and minnows, will head up, 

 and then you will be pleased with the delight of 

 your lady should she be the first to get one. While 

 the perch are there slyly keep your hook unbaited, 

 it won't be for long, and watch her face for your 

 reward. 



A landing for lunch and another for tea are 

 almost begrudged and, last of all, comes a com- 

 parison of catches ; no, not last, for there is the 

 dinner yet to eat with three of its items unvarying, 

 Gudgeon, Partridge and Champagne. 



How the old-fashioned puntsmen enjoyed those 

 times may be gathered from their regrets that 

 such parties are now very rare and that the 

 gudgeon is passing through a long period of 

 neglect. 



Not long since four of us decided on another 

 friendly match of this sort to see if the sport was 

 really what our memories painted it. 



It was a real old type of professional I patron- 

 ised ; one who, I knew, would be pleased to talk 



