236 AN ANGLER'S HOURS xm 



dark, burly fish weighing two pounds all but 

 an ounce. 



The pool is too much disturbed now for 

 further fishing, so he leaves it, climbs up a 

 high bank, and finds himself on the edge 

 of the mill-pound. Farmer John's water 

 ends with the meadow in which the pound 

 lies, so he only has about a hundred yards 

 more water at his disposal. The pound is 

 narrower and deeper than the one below, 

 and here and there it is overgrown with 

 bushes. He follows it to the end of the 

 meadow, looking out for a rising fish, but 

 though it is now six o'clock he cannot find 

 one. So he goes back to the deepest part 

 by the hatch-hole and sits down to wait till 

 he does see a rise. To while away the time 

 he puts up his worm tackle, and throws it 

 in on the chance of getting an eel. For a 

 long time it remains untouched, but at last 

 the line quivers a little, and he picks up his 

 rod so as to be in readiness to strike, for you 

 must not give an eel too long, or he will 

 swallow the hook and cause you great tribu- 

 lation. Soon the line begins to move slowly 

 off, and he strikes. For nearly a minute 

 the eel, or whatever it is, moves slowly about 



