AND HOW I HAVE CAUGHT MY FISH 315 



deep hole ; they will then find a nice, large eddy, 

 with a depth of five feet ; and, if it be a mild day, 

 it's ten to one in their favour that they hook some 

 ancients from the hole below. 



Next, we reach the Mead, and opposite is 

 Magna Charta Island. 



Before we leave the Mead, you must please 

 allow me to say a few words about the large bed 

 of rushes at the tail end of the island ; this, at one 

 time, was the haunt of large numbers of perch and 

 jack. 



PERCH. 



It is said that every Englishman will claim to 

 be a judge of horses until he has purchased a 

 trouble on four legs ; be that as it may I never yet 

 had a companion in my punt who did not know 

 how to paternoster for perch. 



Quietly drop your fine gut paternoster, that has 

 a small lead at the end and a minnow on each of 

 the two hooks, or may be a gudgeon on one of 

 them, with as little disturbance as you can just 

 beyond the nearest weed. Let the lead rest on the 

 bottom a moment, then lift and move it to the right 

 or left ; if there's no success do the same by the 

 next nearest shelter, and so on until each likely 

 spot has been tried ; then on to the next pool to 

 repeat your efforts. 



Perch are the boldest and most fearless of 

 feeders ; they will often follow the bait until so 



