EXPERIENCES & REMINISCENCES. 139 



sequently the water was a day late coming down the river. 

 Of course the extra push of water down the river caused by the 

 mill water put the baited barbel swim out of court entirely, 

 but nevertheless it was fished however, with no result. The 

 Siamese twins never looked blacker than McNab and Maza- 

 wattee did that Wednesday evening, and it was only Mr. 

 Hopper's cheerfulness and very apparent faith in the old river 

 which prevented an explosion. However, they were both very 

 good, and also it was tolerably clear they were well nigh 

 disgusted, and Mr. Hopper was in fear lest McNab should 

 seek consolation in some way or other over the river. It was 

 certainly getting late in the evening for serenading the fair 

 ones who were known to be in the snug little village over the 

 water, but McNab's next best pursuit after fishing is making 

 himself agreeable to the ladies. He is a dab hand at this, and 

 knowing this particular frailty on his part, it was sought to 

 prevent any outbreak in that direction, and with Mazawattee's 

 assistance he was beguiled home instead of giving forth 

 melodious strains for the benefit of such of the Clifton damsels 

 who had not yet sought their dainty couches. 



On Thursday morning McNab and Mazawattee turned out 

 between 4 and 5 o'clock to take the boat to Dunham Dubbs 

 and fish the bream swim there, but Mr. Hopper remained 

 under the protecting awning of his four-poster until 7 o'clock, 

 when he slipped into his usual matutinal cold tub, and having 

 breakfasted, jogged with his roach rod to the length of water 

 (about 7 feet deep) above the Staithe, and having made himself 

 as comfortable as the conditions of a very sloping bank 

 permitted he commenced warfare against the finny tribe, which 

 on this particular morning were in a very good humour, as 

 when Mr. Hopper made tracks at the dinner hour he had a 

 real good basket of dace, white bream, and roach. Of the latter 

 some very fair samples, the largest about fib. The other two 

 chaps had returned from their Dunham outing and had caught 

 5 or 6 bream, the largest about 3^1bs., but all their sport was 

 in the first 20 minutes or half-hour, after which the fish had 

 quite knocked off biting. In the evening, Mr. Hopper sought 



