AUGUST, 1892. 



No. XIII. A FEW ANGLING INCIDENTS AND FRIEND 

 BROWN AND " HAULING." 



AA R. Hopper's usually cloudless brain and unimpeachable 

 / V memory must have been obfuscated when writing his 

 last angling notes, as he failed to place on record 

 or even to refer to an incident, or rather a succession of 

 incidents, of a most unusual nature, and which (at least of a 

 similar kind) are not at all likely to have occurred during the 

 eventful angling career of the world renowned Izaak Walton. 

 Doubtless this state of obfuscation was brought about by Mr. 

 Hopper's contributions to Dixon's Johnsonary and the editorial 

 energy he brought to bear in assisting in the compilation and 

 publication of a work of so unusual a character. 



The incidents about to be narrated are quite true : it is 

 perhaps unnecessary to state this, as Mr. Hopper's reputation 

 and character for veracity in matters piscatorial are (like 

 Potiphar's wife) above suspicion. Witchdorter, Helterton, Mr. 

 Hopper, and the " old lady " referred to in his last notes, 

 were fishing a deep pool in the Trent from 80 to 90 yards broad 

 (the pool not the " old lady ") and more than 100 yards in 

 length, when Helterton's float showed a decided disposition to 

 disappear under the rippling wavelet which the gentle breeze 

 had caused. Helterton, dubbed " the Commodore " by Witch- 

 dorter, that very essence of originality, eager to hook and land 

 one of those 40 pound "pluggers" which the writer of these 

 notes had assured him he would not fail to catch, gave a yuck 

 (that word looks funny, but still it's expressive in fact it's a 

 real good word, and must be put in Dixon's Johnsonary) which 

 was fit to lift one of the sunken barges from the bed of the 

 Trent. Unfortunately Helterton's line was not quite as strong 

 as his muscle, and he parted company with his big float and 

 his tackle and hook, and also with whatever species of the finny 

 tribe might in a moment of hunger and imprudence have 

 affixed itself thereto " thereto " meaning the hook and not the 



