AND HOW I HAVE CAUGHT MY FISH 341 



discovered early one morning by an inquisitive 

 constable with a full sack. On being questioned 

 as to its contents, he said it was firewood, and, 

 on an inspection being made, the constable was 

 satisfied. The sack was shouldered and off he 

 walked, and clean off he would have got, had 

 not one of the ten dead ducks, which were at the 

 bottom, had sufficient life to give an unmistakable 

 1 'quack," " quack." 



The lady could not save him this time, and he 

 had to go into retirement. He left behind him in 

 Wraysbury a wife (a much respected little woman) 

 and young family whom everyone did their best to 

 befriend. 



The shallow round the high bank will be sure to 

 afford sport to the summer chub-fisher who knows 

 how to work. I have taken numbers by throwing 

 in a handful of soaked bread, which, on reaching 

 the water, will break up and swirl round in the 

 little eddies formed by the sandy clay-lumps which 

 have fallen from the bank. The bread will put the 

 fish on the alert for the more substantial piece 

 which should follow on the hook. 



The pollard at the bottom, which is growing out 

 a little above the ordinary level of the river, hangs 

 over a capital bank swim. Slide down some eight 

 feet, and you will be landed on a miniature platform 

 with a good seat formed by the roots of the tree ; 

 there is just sufficient space to stow your lumber ; 

 do away with two or three joints of your long rod, 



