8 FISHING GOSSIP. 



him with a paternoster ; whilst he stops there no- 

 thing will bite, depend upon it ; you might as well 

 tempt a snake-fascinated paroquette with a cater- 

 pillar ! Ha ! I have him ... a John, by all the 

 powers ! a big bullying pike, come here to make a 

 breakfast. Julia, the landing-net quick don't wait 

 till he's clone up, but pop it under him the moment 

 you get a chance, for whilst he can show fight he 

 keeps tail towards you and his head down, with the 

 gut in the corner of his great mouth where he's got 

 no teeth ; but as soon as he's beaten, his mouth slews 

 round, and the line will be in the " breakers" in a 

 moment. So bravely done : a six-pounder at the 

 least, and in capital condition ! 



But what on earth can Charley and Blanche be 

 about all this time ? They actually haven't begun 

 yet ! Well, the fact is that Blanche and Charley 

 have contrived to get their tw r o lines into a most in- 

 genious tangle, and somehow the juxtaposition of so 

 many pair of taper fingers doesn't seem to have much 



expedited matters. 



* * * * 



But there ! what's the good of talking and making 

 myself melancholy one can't eat one's cake and keep 

 it : it's all over and done with, and here I am back 

 at my venerable Coach's again Homer, Horace, 

 Livy Livy, Horace, Homer the old grind ! Adieu 

 to gudgeon and gudgeon-fishing, Hurley Bucks, 



