A GREAT FISH AND A GREATER FISHERMAN 19 
day of this, the greatest, tragedy of my life as a 
fisherman was a Friday, and that Friday the 1st 
of April. In this connection it is worth recalling 
that no references to April Fools' Day have been 
found in our earlier literature, and it seems that 
this country has derived the fashion from France, 
where April Fools' Day is a very ancient institu- 
tion, and where the dupe is known as " poisson 
d'avril." The April fool in this story was the 
fisherman, not the fish. The following day, 
Saturday, I tried to make the most of my last 
chance and fished all day long, but without a sign 
of anything. Of course, there was a great dis- 
cussion as to the probable weight of the fish, 
which had given both C. and myself several 
opportunities of forming some estimate on the 
subject. We both agreed that it could not have 
been less than 35 lb., and was more probably 
round about 40 lb. But my story has an interest- 
ing sequel. On the following Monday I returned 
to London ; and on the Tuesday, when fishing the 
pool which was the scene of the catastrophe, my 
host made a discovery which I can best relate by 
quoting from a letter which he wrote to me on 
the following day. 
" Yesterday afternoon," he wrote, " when 
