40 A BOOK ON ANGLING 



break me, for I never have been able to kill one of these big 

 ones with a single hair," was my reply. I had often on the 

 same spot hooked three or four of these monsters in a morning, 

 but I never could kill one of them. They always got away, 

 for not far below us was a large deep hole, full of snags, old 

 roots, and rubbish ; and sooner or later they always remem- 

 bered their hold there, and dashed into it headlong. Even 

 stout ledger-tackle would hardly have held them, and that 

 they were were very shy at, preferring the single hair greatly. 

 This hole was about fifty yards below us, and I constantly 

 expected the fish would make for it. However, though he 

 made constant runs, he never cared to go above half the 

 distance, but sheered about, now out in the stream and now 

 in towards the campshot.* It had long been dark, and he 

 showed no symptoms of tiring, though he had in turn tired 

 all of us. Playing a fish in the dark is awkward work, so we 

 hailed some men, several of whom, attracted by the report 

 of our having hooked " a big un," were standing on the bank, 

 to bring us a couple of lanthorns and some hot brandy and 

 water, for it was bitterly cold ; and with the aid of the 

 lanthorns we at length managed to get the net under the 

 fish and lifted him out. It was half -past eight when he was 

 landed, so that I had had him on three and a half hours. 

 And now what does the reader think he weighed ? I was 

 disgusted to find that he was only a six and a half pound 

 fish ; had I known it, I would have broken from him hours 

 before ; but it turned out that he was hooked by the back- 

 fin, and his head being perfectly free, of course he played as 

 heavily as a fish of double the size ; and even now, remem- 

 bering what the stream was, I wonder how I did succeed in 

 landing him, as a fish so hooked, having his broadside opposed 

 to the water, has great power of resistance. Indeed, I consider 

 that the accomplishment was equal to killing a fish of double 

 the weight if fairly hooked. The feat may sound incredible 

 three hours and a half with only a single horsehair, a fin- 

 hooked fish, and a heavy stream nevertheless it is strictly 

 true. Had the hold been in the mouth instead of the hard, 

 tough fin, it would probably have cut out in half the time. 

 Now I give this piece of advice to all anglers who may be 

 fishing from a punt with roach tackle, and who chance to 



* " The campshot," as it is termed on the Thames, is the wooden boarding 

 and piling that keeps up the bank of the river. In places where it gets old 

 and broken, it makes a famous harbour for fish. F. F. 



