irit. Instead, therefore, of dibbing, I now allowed the fly to
float, a little submerged, from a couple of yards above the fish,
which, I fear, had never in its youthful days been taught the mystical
proverb, "First, second, but beware of the third." It came up with a
gallant charge, and went down soundly hooked.

There was no possibility of getting the landing net to the water, and
no opportunity of travelling the grayling up or down stream to a
convenient place. I had to make the best of the position, and the best
was the employment of brute force. Hauling up a 1/2-lb. fish bodily a
distance of several feet, when the said fish is held only by a tiny
golden palmer on the finest gut, is not a likely manoeuvre. The
grayling behaved well for a couple of yards or so, and then bethought
himself of plunging, the consequence being that I lost my hook, and he
dropped into a tuft of bracken in a niche below, to die uselessly.

Down in Wessex lies the scene of a memorable day with pike. There were
occasions when I caught more fish at live baiting, but that is a
process of which one ought not to be as proud as of the more
workmanlike method of spinning. This was a spinning day pure and
simple. The sport was good; the adjuncts were enjoyable. It was a
fine lake in an ancient park, and on Guy Fawkes Day I found the autumn
tints such as I have never seen them for magnificence at any other
time. Then I had a comfortable boat, an intelligent keeper to pull it,
and plenty of fresh, medium-sized dace for bait.

The lake, if left to itself, would have been choked with anacharis; but
the proprietor, by means of a machine driven by steam--a sort of
submarine plough--kept certain portions clear. The pike I knew would
not at this time of the year be absolutely amongst the weeds if they
could avoid it, for they prefer cover without a taint of decay; but I
reckoned rightly that I should meet with them in the water lanes
through which the machine had been driven. One large triangle in the
vent of the bait was sufficient tackle. I am not certain that more
elaborate flights are better anywhere; for weedy water I should have no
reservation. From ten o'clock till five, with half an hour for
luncheon, I toiled on, acquired a grand shoulder-ache that lasted me
three days, and covered the bottom of the boat with close upon
three-quarters of a hundred-weight of pike in prime condition.

The largest fish ought to have weighed 20 lb., bu