ENORMOUS PIKE 159 



back as he was landing him a lad, says the Colonel, 

 so called from the place of his nativity. Of course 

 you expect the latter phenomenon every cast. 

 You see him in your mind's eye eternally following 

 your fly, and you are ready to strike from second 

 to second. It is true he does not actually come, 

 as experience teaches. But what of that ? he may 

 come in an hour in a minute in a moment ; the 

 thing is possible, and that is enough for an angler. 



A friend of mine (sacred be his name !) of great 

 repute for his dexterity with the rod, and cele- 

 brated for his agreeable and amiable qualities, as 

 well as for his intelligence and various accomplish- 

 ments, had this poetical facility of seeing what did 

 not really exist in substance. A curious instance 

 of this popular talent occurred at a friend's house 

 in the country with whom he was staying. There 

 was a fine piece of water in the park, well stored 

 with fish, where he used to spend most part of the 

 morning, rod in hand ; so that his perseverance 

 excited considerable admiration from the host, as 

 well as from his guests. Not having been very 

 successful, his ardour at length began to flag. It 

 was a pity, for it is a pleasant thing to be excited. 

 What was to be done ? You shall see. A report 

 was raised that there was an enormous pike seen in 

 the water, about the length of a decent-sized alli- 

 gator. He was said to have maimed a full-grown 

 swan, and destroyed two cygnets, besides sundry 

 ducks. At first he was no more believed in than 

 the great sea snake, which encloses at least half the 

 world in his folds. But after the lapse of a few days, 



