1897. 



XXVIII McNAB's FIRST BARBEL; How HE PLAYED IT. 



QUITE undismayed by the sarcastic remark of Mr. 

 Hopper, junr., that sometimes fish were caught on the 

 Trent the paternal ancestor of that young man sallied 

 forth with his angling mates on Tuesday morning quite eager 

 for trying conclusions with the big bream known to frequent 

 the swim alluded to in the last notes. A splendid assortment 

 of worms, obtained from Stephen Dale, of St. John-street, 

 Nottingham [there's a cheap advertisement for you Stephen 

 Dale] was placed in a capacious bag, and McNab having 

 expressed his readiness to do a bit of hauling, the boat was 

 soon speeding its way up the river. The water was very 

 shallow inshore and McNab having exerted his muscles a little 

 too vigorously the boat grounded. McNab was furious and 

 yelled out from the bank, " I thought, Mr. Hopper, you said 

 you knew every inch of the river." However, the delay was 

 not of long duration, and having backed a little downstream 

 the boat was soon on its way again with plenty of water under 

 its keel. Mazawattee, impassive as is his wont, reclined in an 

 easy posture in the boat whilst McNab and Mr. Hopper did 

 the work. Before long the bream swim was reached, the boat 

 placed in a favourable position and the stone let down, and 

 rods were quickly put together and the swim carefully fished 

 down by McNab and Mazawattee, whilst Mr. Hopper selected 

 a few score of the primest worms and consigned them 

 to the depths below with the object of " bringing on " the bream 

 and causing them to bite. McNab employed all his well- 

 known artful tricks to induce a bite and Mazawattee was in no 

 way behind him in the ruses he employed, but not a bite could 

 be got. It was clear the bream were dead off (anyhow in this 

 portion of the river) and after a prolonged but ineffectual trial 

 of the swim it was decided to pull up the stone and try for 

 smaller fry somewhat lower down the river. This proved 

 almost as disappointing as the bream swim, and McNab and 



