1890. 



X. PIKE RECORDS. FRIEND BROWN'S PIKE, AND Miss 

 HOPPER, AND RACHEL, THE MILCH Cow. 



WHAT is the biggest pike you ever heard of, Mr. Hopper ? 

 170 Ibs., Mr. Enquirer. Wherever was such a monster 

 caught, Mr. Hopper? Well, Mr. Hopper once had a 

 father But surely your father did not catch it ? No, but who 

 said he did ? You will interrupt so, and not allow Mr. Hopper 

 to answer your question. Well, Mr. Hopper, senr., that is, 

 the real Mr. Hopper's paternal ancestor, had a book, a very, 

 very old edition of Izaak Walton's book on angling, which 

 every school-boy is aware is known as " The Complete Angler." 

 No doubt it was complete in those far off days, although it did 

 not discourse of the styles in vogue now commonly known as 

 the Nottingham and Thames styles of angling. Now our old 

 friend Izaak was born towards the end of the i6th century, and 

 the original edition of this work, also known as " Contemplative 

 Man's Recreation," was published somewhere about the middle 

 of the 1 7th century. It has been said by an excellent authority 

 that the book will continue to be read "for its charming 

 simplicity of manner, its pastoral freshness and poetry, and the 

 pure, peaceful, and pious spirit which is breathed from its 

 quaint old pages." Old Izaak was also responsible for the 

 publication of the Lives of the celebrated Dr. John Donne, 

 Hooker, Sir John Wotton, George Herbert, and Bishop 

 Sanderson. The poet Wordsworth dedicated to them a 

 beautiful sonnet, in which he speaks of them as 



Satellites burning in a lurid ring 

 Around meek Walton's heavenly memory. 



But, Mr. Hopper, what has this got to do with the 

 170 Ibs. pike ? Well, perhaps it has not, except in- 

 directly ; but it is only human nature to wander off 

 a bit into rhapsody when such a glorious old gentleman as the 

 immortal Izaak is brought to the front. However, Mr. 

 Hopper feels that there is some anxiety abroad to hear more 



