A DAY WITH THE OUSE PIKE 83 



tition in it, so that tackle, luncheon, and fish could be 

 separated. I have carried twenty pounds and more of 

 jack in it several times, and always considered it worth 

 more than I gave for it. 



Very soon after leaving that old post, the river takes 

 several short and abrupt turns. In most of these corners 

 there was a deepish hole, fringed with reeds and flags, and 

 generally tenanted by one or two decent jack. I always 

 made it a rule to try every one of these corners well, and 

 hardly ever tried them but what I got at least one decent 

 fish from one or other of them. 



The October day I am now describing was one of the best 

 for spinning I was ever out in ; a beautiful breeze rippled 

 the surface of the river, and six inches of extra water with 

 a nice colour was running, and shaking those reeds in 

 dancing music. I threw those sprats many dozens of times 

 into all the bends, tiddled them round and over the flag 

 beds, and insinuated them into all the corners, for more 

 than two hours, and got three of the best fish I ever ob- 

 tained from the Great Ouse on spinning tackle during one 

 afternoon. They weighed 8| lb., 7J lb., and 6J lb., re- 

 spectively 23 lb., nearly 8 lb. each on the average. 



I spun all down that stretch, which is always worth try- 

 ing right away down to a big hill, which turns the course of 

 the river to a complete right angle, and only got one more 

 fish, a good three-pounder j and as the bag was heavy, and 

 that small fish was likely to spoil my average for that day 

 at any rate, I carefully returned it to the river. 



That hill that fronts you on coming down stream from 

 St. Neots paper mill is said to be the highest eminence in 

 the county of Huntingdon, and is known as Paxton Hill. 

 On the opposite side was a row of poplars, whose leaves 

 during the summer, and when there did not seem to be any 

 breeze, would shake and shiver, showing alternately white 

 and green ; a very curious effect, making the observer 

 wonder if a breeze v as not playing hide-and-seek with the 

 tops of those trees. 



