The title promises a gentle fishing scene, but the poem quickly slips into something odder. The speaker hands over a catch to an attractive woman, then lays his head in the water. The next line, "which spoiled it," is ambiguous. It could mean the water spoiled the fish, or that the gesture ruined the moment. The poem never says, and that uncertainty is part of its charm.
The ending shifts the mood. The speaker says he is sorry not to be in London, "to hide among the ants." It's a surprising wish: to be somewhere crowded and anonymous, small and unnoticed among busy creatures. Judging by the imagery, he seems to feel awkward or embarrassed, as though he has made a fool of himself and wants to disappear. The tone is wry, dreamlike, and a little sad, mixing dry humor with a quiet longing to escape. Like a quick, strange sketch, it leaves its meaning slightly out of reach.