104 DAYS AMONG THE PIKE AND PERCH 



on the whole is flat and fen-like in its character, but not by 

 any means uninteresting, while the drains and old water- 

 courses, with the old water-mills or pumps dotted about at 

 intervals, lend a charming variety to the otherwise dull 

 landscape. Those old sluggish drains and watercourses 

 that are such a feature of this countryside are the homes 

 of innumerable pike and perch ; and many a good fish has 

 been landed from there. 



Out of the beaten track, where the general run of holiday 

 anglers do not seem to penetrate much, is a little place 

 some three or four stations beyond Ely, on the road to 

 St. Ives. This little place, that rejoices in the name of 

 Earith Bridge, is a capital centre for a wandering pike and 

 perch angler to make his head-quarters ; there are three 

 or four considerable rivers hereabouts, one in which the 

 tide ebbs and flows. Below the bridge this water, called 

 the Hundred Foot, is rented by a Cambridge society ; but 

 they grant daily, weekly, or season tickets ; at least I was 

 told so. Further along the road you will find the village 

 of Earith ; and another river, deeper and more sluggish 

 on the whole than is the Hundred Foot, flows about 

 parallel with it. This is what is locally known as the Old 

 Bedford River ; and a right good watercourse it is, although 

 nothing like so streamy as is the other one just named. 



Pike and perch are fairly plentiful in both these rivers, 

 and spinning, snap-fishing with a float, and paternostering 

 can be indulged in. I believe there are miles of free 

 water on the Old Bedford River. 



Another smaller river, or drain it looks more like to me, 

 is to be found on the other side of Earith Bridge. This 

 stream is not generally known to anglers ; it seems to be 

 hidden away from the very start ; it goes at nearly right 

 angles to the other two I mentioned. The main road that 

 leads from Earith to Willingham runs side by side for 

 two miles or more with it ; in spite of this, the bulk of 

 anglers, except a few from Cambridge and Ely, seem to 

 be ignorant of its very existence ; at least that is my im- 



