50 SPRING-TIDE. 



three-pounder, if I mistake not. Carry him 

 into the miller's wife, and ascertain his 

 weight, Simon. And now let me tell you 

 a story of the voracity and daring of some 

 of these larger fish, which, when not in- 

 clined to feed, you may tempt in vain, but 

 at other times will suffer themselves to be 

 caught by the veriest bungler. An elderly 

 gentleman fishing at Rickmans worth, on 

 the river Colne in Hertfordshire, in the 

 Summer of 1815, having laboured all day 

 with the fly, and contributed but little to 

 his pannier, before quitting the water-side 

 bethought him of having a venture with a 

 snail, which he substituted for his artificial 

 temptations. In a short time he struck a 

 very heavy fish, which, after playing for 

 a while, he at length brought to the sur- 

 face of the water, though not sufficiently 

 near enough to make sure of him. The 

 fish was a large one ; and, the captor's 

 attendant having quitted the ground and 



