A DAY ON THE LEA 



" attachments " were all failures. By no means. 

 I consider that I succeeded fairly well bearing 

 in mind the obstacles in the way ; but for these 

 I modestly estimate that I should have carried 

 away at least six brace of pounders in my own 

 creel, whereas speaking the truth, as I always 

 do we had to content ourselves with five brace 

 of nice trout between us, say from half a pound 

 to a pound each. 



I am inclined to think that there were no such 

 things as weeds in rivers in the days of Izaak 

 Walton. I wonder how far it may be from the 

 foot of Chancery Lane to Hoddesdon or Ware, 

 and I wonder who amongst us in these de- 

 generate days would, like Walton, think nothing 

 of starting afoot " on a fine fresh May day in 

 the morning" on that long journey, carrying a 

 load of the needful fishing implements, and 

 breakfast off a Lea trout and a cup of ale 

 at " the thatcht-house," Hoddesdon, by nine 

 o'clock. Surely there were no weeds to trouble 

 him then. I do not remember that his ad- 

 mirable patience was ever put to the test of a 

 river full up with weeds. I fancy they are a 

 later invention of the enemy. 



By the way, I wonder if Izaak Walton and 



