AND WHEN YOU SHOULD. 227 



short swim or two. The weight of the line he will 

 have to drag will clog his movements, and as soon 

 as you begin to bear on him again you will see 

 him turn his head round towards you, beating the 

 water with languid fins that are fast losing their 

 propelling powers. Thus exhausted, bring his head 

 above water, and down into your landing net with 

 proper economy of time. In fishing with a single 

 hair-line you must always cautiously play your 

 fish, very small though he may be. But when 

 with such a line you hook a monster fish, giant 

 barbel, or chub or carp or perch, you must play 

 him with all the careful address and ingenuity of 

 the fly-fisher. An event of this sort will fill you 

 with excitement, charged to the brim with doubt, 

 pleasant suspense and fear ; and if by the suaviter 

 in modo you succeed, and you cannot succeed on 

 any other tack, you can commemorate your suc- 

 cess with a finny mummy in a glass case with 

 this glorious inscription: "Barbel, weight 12lbs,, 

 caught with a roach single hair-line, at Sunbury, 



July, 1847, by " Some sceptic may 



doubt the truth of this immortalising label, but I 

 should not, knowing well what immense weights 

 art can pull up, and what immense strength it can 

 pull down. In fishing for perch your tackle 

 should be strong, for he is a bold biter, and not to 

 be scared away by a stout gut-line ; hence playing 

 him will not be very advisable. You should 

 Q 2 



