28 FISHES I HAVE KNOWN 



me and another boy with him whenever he had 

 leave to fish in any of the fine parks that 

 studded the district. In one of these parks was 

 a lake containing carp of enormous size and 

 age. Dr. Primrose used to sit for hours on a 

 camp-stool, solemnly smoking a big meerschaum 

 pipe, watching for a nibble, and trying all kinds 

 of- lure in the shape of paste. Close by were 

 water-lilies and horse-tail reeds in abundance, 

 and, inexperienced as I was, I knew that if 

 he hooked a fish it would instantly make for 

 the reeds. I also knew that it was not much 

 use to fish for carp except early in the morning 

 or late in the evening. Therefore I was not 

 surprised that in the blazing sun the patient 

 angler never got a bite. Just as the sun was 

 going down, he thought of a plan. He allowed 

 the bait — a well-selected red worm — to hang over 

 a large water-lily leaf, and when, in response to his 

 call, I ran up to him from the pursuit of trout in 

 the upper part of the lake, I found him playing 

 a very large carp that kept boring away to the 

 friendly cover of the water-plants. 



Gallantly the fight went on, but the line was 

 so very fine that he dared not put an)- strain 

 on it, and the carp slowly neared the reeds, and, 

 to our disgust, slipped into them, breaking the 



