104 By Stream and Sea. 



was the monotony, in half an hour could regard this artful 

 dodge as a piece of positive excitement. The float, as every 

 roach angler would expect, was shotted down to within a 

 quarter of an inch of the water, and the additional lump of 

 bran and bread naturally sank it completely under like an 

 overloaded ship. Then came the agitating moments. How 

 long would the float remain under water ? Would the artful 

 dodge entice a fish? At last slowly emerging from the 

 depths issued the glittering porcupine, nodding, as it were, 

 confidentially to its owner, before it resumed its silent glide 

 over the tranquil swim. But there was no captive on the 

 hook, and the angler, I verily believe, would have felt a 

 little aggrieved if sport came so soon. It was one o'clock 

 in the day, and the wildest expectations in which he could 

 indulge were that the fish would " come on " in the cool Of 

 the evening. 



It is a pleasant walk from Rye House to Broxbourne, 

 where the cream, nay, the very Devonshire cream, of Lea 

 fishing is to be had. Of course, everybody knows Benning- 

 field's House and nice gardens. Everybody has known it 

 from time immemorial, for the father of the present pro- 

 prietor was an enthusiastic angler, who paid strict attention 

 to the water he rented. Carthagena Weir is a really fine 

 pool, and, as may be supposed, it is in great request amongst 

 the habituh of the fishery. There are not many bream in 

 the Lea, but a few are generally taken from this weir, and 

 also a few large trout. The largest bream I ever saw — three 

 weighing twenty-one pounds — were taken here, and publicly 

 exhibited when stuffed. For trout, however, you must go 

 higher up the stream in the most rigidly protected waters. 

 Of these there is a length of the river at Amwell in highest 

 repute both as a trout and perch water. 



Amwell Hill is, to my thinking, the centre of the Lea's 



