52 ANGLING 



The biggest pike Mr. Hopper ever put eyes on weighed 65lbs., 

 but it was in a glass case at the Fisheries Exhibition. Of 

 course Mr. Hopper has had hold of many pike very much 

 bigger than that, but unfortunately through flaws in his tackle 

 they have broken away. Nonsense, Mr. Hopper, don't write 

 such rubbish, or the readers of your angling notes will lose 

 faith in you. 



Well, now for a real true story ; Mr. Hopper saw it in the 

 paper, and therefore it must be true. A gamekeeper in 

 Germany saw floating on the surface of a lake a substance 

 which on being drawn to the side he discovered to be a dead 

 carp of great size. Fastened in its back were the talons of a 

 huge eagle, the skeleton frame of which was quite perfect with 

 its whitened bones. It is surmised that the carp, as is the habit 

 of that species of fish, was swimming on the surface in shallow 

 water, when the eagle swooped down upon it and fastened its 

 sharp talons in the back of the carp, which affrighted at this 

 sudden onslaught made off for deep water and dragged its 

 assailant down and drowned it. Unable to free itself from the 

 firm grip of the eagle's claws, the carp carried its dead foe on 

 its back until the flesh and feathers rotted away, and even then 

 continued to bear about with it in its watery wanderings the 

 skeleton of its ruthless aggressor. Mr. Hopper thinks this 

 must be true, because gamekeepers never tell lies; the most 

 inveterate poacher is always ready to admit this. So much for 

 the eagle and carp. 



Little Miss Hopper has lately been complaining and saying 

 that Bobbingmoon, Witchdorter, Uncle Peter, Humber, 

 Twynkles, Mr. Eyesax, and friend Brown are constantly given 

 a place in Mr. Hopper's notes, but that she a real angler by 

 the way scarcely ever appears. Well, as the pilfering of the 

 worms has been atoned for, and consequently overlooked, Mr. 

 Hopper will relate one little anecdote more about her. Fond of 

 pets ? Of course she is ! Fond of cows ? Well rather ! Afraid of 

 them ? Not likely ! Why, there's that dear old Rachel will let 

 me (so says little Miss Hopper) do anything with her. Now, 

 Rachel is the milch cow at our Trent-side holiday retreat. 



