xiv A SUBURBAN FISHERY 257 



few ancient trout as well as the perch and 

 coarse fish, and these trout have, until quite 

 recently, been a source of displeasure to the 

 fraternity. They flatly refused to be caught, 

 whether by fly, live-bait, or spinning, saving 

 two only and one of these, being captured 

 in the winter by a pike-fisher, had to be 

 returned. Therefore the matter was taken 

 into earnest consideration, with the result 

 that the general feeling found voice in what 

 practically amounted to a vote of censure 

 on the inhabitants of the pool without 

 definitely calling for their destruction. " If," 

 so approximately ran the expression of 

 opinion, " a trout shall be taken by a brother 

 who is bait -fishing, it may be retained." 

 There was a proviso as to the size of the 

 fish, but it was not so strict as to hold out 

 any hope for the veterans of the pool, 

 should they be unwise enough to take the 

 bait intended for barbel or bream, for which 

 fish the fraternity in general, and two 

 brothers in particular, at once began to dis- 

 play an unsuspected yearning. 



Before very long it became a recognised 

 thing for these two brethren to sit one on each 

 side of the weir, each holding his leger-rod 



