vi A FEBRUARY PIKE 105 



" Twelve pounds," I commented. " He's 

 making a good fight for his size." 



The sight of the fish suggested that it 

 was nearly time for the net a big grilse net 

 and it was not long before the gradual 

 application of the butt told. The pike was 

 brought in and the net was slipped under it. 

 " He's a big twelve-pounder ! " I exclaimed, 

 when it became obvious that the net was 

 too small, a point emphasised by the fish, 

 which rolled out of it and hurried away to 

 the other side of the river, fortunately still 

 hooked. Thrice this happened, but the 

 fourth time the quarry, utterly beaten, 

 allowed himself to be packed inartistically 

 into the inadequate receptacle and dragged 

 ashore in triumph. As net and fish were 

 carried safely out into the meadow I enlarged 

 my estimate of him to sixteen pounds. 



" More," said the keeper, and it became 

 apparent that he was right when, each hold- 

 ing one end of a sack, we were traversing 

 the mile that lay between the river and a 

 weighing-machine. By the end of the mile 

 the more moderate estimate (the keeper's) 

 was forty pounds. 



As a matter of fact, the fish weighed 



