254 AN ANGLER'S HOURS xiv 



broad water, as it is styled, are the pike. 

 We boast ourselves second to none in the 

 number of our pike. They weigh six 

 ounces apiece, and we often make quite a 

 large basket of them ; for they will take 

 anything that is presented to them, and are 

 particularly fond of salmon flies. In the 

 channel running to the mill, however, 

 which is not much fished, as it is shallow 

 and weedy, there are a few larger ones. 

 Current report weighs a solitary veteran for 

 us at sixteen or seventeen pounds, but that 

 is probably an exaggeration. Following 

 the other channel we soon find a deep 

 narrow reach bordered by ancient stumps. 

 This is the abode of the perch, and here 

 rare baskets have occasionally been made in 

 September and October, which are the best 

 months for perch here. There is another 

 huge trout somewhere in the neighbour- 

 hood of this hole. Very occasionally he is 

 seen to feed. He ploughs the river like a 

 torpedo-boat, and the small fry leap out in 

 shoals before him ; but he is too ancient and 

 cunning to take a fly, and he has never yet 

 attacked a spinning-bait, though he probably 

 would do so if you could catch him on the 



