CLEAR WATERS 



benefit, hired a boat with man and tackle from the 



hotel, and we, he and I, went a-fishing. There were 



two rods, one for small fry, perch and suchlike, the 



other for pike with live bait and tackle. My friend 



not being an angler took charge of the former. I, as 



an angling maniac and on the strength of my recent 



Shropshire performance, took charge of the pike-rod. 



In due course I had a run, and when the time for 



striking came I thought I had hold of the bottom of 



the lake. But it wasn't ; it was an enormous pike, 



and in about a quarter of an hour, with the help of the 



boatman, we had it on board, and it weighed eighteen 



pounds. Curiously enough it was the largest that 



had been killed in that public water for many years. 



If it had been January instead of August it would have 



been much heavier. My kind friend had it mounted 



for me by old Pulman of Totnes, and I have it still. 



The veteran taxidermist and fly-tier was so tickled at 



the notion of so juvenile an angler being responsible 



for so large a fish that throughout the next year or 



two when he forwarded my shilling or half-crown's 



worth of flies he used to insert after my name on the 



envelope ' The Great Pike Catcher ! ' It was the 



last pike of my life. I rested on my laurels. As a 



matter of fact it was a branch of the sport that never 



came much in my way nor made any particular appeal 



to me. That was in truth a memorable year to me. 



For it had so happened that the very month before 



I had by a very similar accident achieved an even 



greater triumph, which must assuredly be recounted 



as this is a chapter of childish things. 



By the summer of this my second season on Exmoor 

 24 



