FISHES AND FISHING. 203 



Thames Lock, I hooked and killed a trout about two 

 pounds. 



Soon after my return to town, I took my fly-rod, 

 &c., and went to the Horse and Groom, at Lea 

 Bridge, and caught a chub or two in the water at the 

 tail of the mill. I went round to the mill head, and 

 saw a neat little man on the Barge Walk, dropping 

 his fly very cleverly under some willows, and taking 

 several chub, a pound or more each; his rod was 

 shorter than mine, and he threw a greater length of 

 line than I, at that time, could have accomplished ; 

 but which I afterwards did easily. I entered into 

 conversation with him ; invited him to take tea with 

 me in the house; we afterwards went to the mill 

 tail, and he, in the most unassuming manner, pointed 

 out my defect in fly-fishing, which was too much im 

 petuosity. He was rather astonished when he found 

 I could not make a fly, and giving me his address, 

 (Mr. H.) said, if I would call upon him, he would 

 have great pleasure in teaching me. He was highly 

 respectable, and I invited him to my house ; he came 

 and taught me how to dress a fly ; explained the differ 

 ence and advantages of hackles out of a live cock, 

 over those taken after the fowl is dead which is, 

 that the former keep their elasticity in the water, 

 and the latter collapse, and become like a rag. This 

 is well understood in France, in regard to beds; 



