106 DAYS AMONG THE PIKE AND PERCH 



and a swirl among the lily pads tells me that a prime rudd 

 has just got alarmed and changed his retreat. 



It is October ; there has been a glorious autumn, and 

 these late flowers have not as yet lost much of their beauty. 

 It is rather late in the year, but still I keep my eyes open, 

 on the rare off-chance of seeing one of those magnificent 

 fenland butterflies, the swallow-tail, as the water-carrot, 

 the plant that the larvse feed on, is there in fair abundance. 

 I did get one once long years ago, but now I see never a sign, 

 although I look ever so carefully, even if it is only a belated 

 yellow that dashes from the vegetation. 



We will rig up a strong paternoster for this day's work 

 among the jack ; and so it shall be a yard of oo Hercules 

 wire gimp, with a firm loop in the centre sticking out at 

 right angles ; a half -ounce lead at the extreme end will do, 

 and, yes, one small snap fixed in that loop will be quite 

 enough for this water ; extra tackle and baits on a pater- 

 noster in a river like this will spell disaster, obstructions 

 are too much in evidence. A small No. 6 treble, and three 

 inches away from it a much larger single lip hook, a No. i, 

 dressed on seven inches of the wire gimp, is ample. Every- 

 thing from rod top to lead should be strong, because, 

 presto, a jack opens his mouth, seizes the glittering dace, 

 and " THUNG." You hang on for all you are worth, as 

 Mr. Jack tries his hand round that bed of lilies ; failing 

 this, he fancies that other flag bed might be a city of 

 refuge ; foiled in this, he tries a leap of a couple of feet into 

 the air, on the off-chance of breaking you ; but we hold on, 

 unmercifully giving him the butt, as some anglers call it ; 

 I call it giving him the point. And now the sixteen-inch 

 landing-net is lifted up in the right hand ; yes, the right 

 hand the rod should always be worked in the left hand, 

 with the reel handles pointing to the right the far edge 

 of the ring under his tail, while with rod you hold his head 

 slightly above the surface ; a sharp lift and he is in, and if 

 you are careful yours ; and the first five-pounder of our 

 day's outing is landed. 



