HO IV AND WHERE TO SPIN. icg 



lis. He seemed father surprised at our small baits, ' For,' said he, 

 ' in the winter we generally use very large tackle, and fish with a 

 toach from half to three-quarters of a pound in weight; but I thinli 

 Mr. Pennell's tackle very good to spin over the weeds, which are 

 terrible thick about.' 



The keeper was right ; the river was one mass of dense solid 

 forests of weeds, which moved about in the rapid stream like great 

 sea-snakes. Between them, however, were here and there streets 

 and lanes of beautiful deep water, looking almost ink colour on 

 account of its depth and the darkness of the weeds, the water itself, 

 however, being as clear as crystal. ' 



' Have you any large jack about here, keeper ? ' said I. . . . 

 ' Yes, we have, sir, and I will tell you a curious thing : One 

 day I put into the stew pond a: jack that had a gorge hook in him, 

 for the gimp was just sticking out of his mouth. I did not take 

 him again for six months, and when I came to look at him I could 

 not find the hook at all. As I was cleaning him, something hard 

 Struck upon the edge of the knife, and I found that it was the 

 gorge hook that had worked itself right through him, and was 

 nearly coming out. It was quite loose in the intestine, and did 

 hot seem to have injured the fish, for he was in good condition, 

 and I know he fed while he was in the pond. But, hark ! your 

 friend, Mr. Pennell, is crying for the gaff. We must be off, sir. 

 Run ! it's a good fish, from the bend of the rod.' 



We had first to cross a water ' carrier,' as they call them in 

 these parts. Off we both started as hard as we could go, the 

 keeper going easily over a foot-board bridge, and I myself flounder- 

 ing, head-over-ears, bang into the muddy water and rushes, and 

 getting my first wetting for the season. . . . 



' It's terribly hot ! ' said Pennell ; ' how I envy those cows in 

 the water ! I have been a long way up stream, and this is what 

 I have got. I saw a beautiful quiet dyke, about five yards wide, 

 and at the first cast I was delighted to see a huge wave issue from 

 the side of the bank. Slacking [?] the speed of the bait, I let him 

 have it fairly, and struck him as he turned for home ; he made a 

 gallant five minutes' fight, and has left this " line-cut" on my finger 

 as a mark of his prowess. 



'As I knew these big jack often hunt in couples, I had another 

 cast, and hooked an equally fine fellow, within two yards of the 

 spot where I caught the first, but I unluckily lost him, when at the 

 last gasp, for want of the gaff, which, by the way, I see sticking 



