46 A Sportsman at Large 



It was whilst thus leading a primitive and fairly innocent 

 life that I had one of the finest bits of carp-fishing that has 

 ever come my way. 



Ted was no adept at the art of the angle, so this depart- 

 ment was left exclusively to me. 



I was well aware that the bit of water, known to our family 

 as " The Big Pond/' but charted on the ordnance map as 

 the " Leg-of-Mutton Pond " (owing to its shape), held very 

 fine carp ; but catching them by ordinary means was quite 

 out of the question. 



I had seen a score of them fine, fat fellows of alder manic 

 proportions sailing in lethargic fashion close to an islet 

 which studded the centre of the pond, sunning themselves 

 and basking quite close to the surface. 



Thought I: "These fellows must feed sometimes perhaps 

 in the early morning. Dashed if I don't have a try ! " 



That very evening I punted quietly over to the island, 

 landing on the side remote from that on which I had so often 

 spotted the carp, and, crossing over it, I threw in a goodly 

 ration of ground-bait, consisting of bran, soaked bread and 

 boiled potatoes. Then I retreated. 



The next morning I was up at six o'clock (no " Summer 

 Time " in those days genuine six o'clock a.m. !). Leaving 

 Ted with his expansive mouth wide open, and giving voice 

 to strangulated rasps and gurgles, I picked up my nine-foot 

 bottom rod, ready mounted and equipped for the purpose 

 toward, and slipped down to the pond and into the punt, 

 which I quietly paddled to the island, and then, with stealthy 

 tread, approached my baited swim. 



" The white mist, herald of a golden morn, 

 Sweeps from the waters, on whose placid face 

 The swallow wantons with her mirrored self, 

 And sombre grey, to tender blue gives place. 

 The wandering rays of yonder rising sun, 

 With diamond scintillations deck the grass, 

 And passing o'er the beads of glittering dew, 

 Absorb the grateful moisture as they pass." 



Such were the conditions, when cautiously I dropped my 

 hook, baited with bread-paste, over the spot where I had 

 cast my ground bait the previous evening, when also I had 



