4 A VEAE OF LIBERTY; OR, 



All is soon ready; over the left shoulder flies the line, whilst the 

 eye follows it amongst the branches, and then a turn of the wrist 

 sends it light and true across the stream. At the fourth cast a fish 

 rose. I hear the word ^' fresh" pronounced simultaneously by 

 Messrs. Ned and Willie, the latter of whom, without a word, ex- 

 changes "the green" for "the grey." 



Once more the fly skims over the water, a bright gleam marks the 

 run, and the descending line tells mo I am ""fast" in my first fish 

 for the season. A sharp round of ten minutes brings the fight to an 

 end, and finds a nine-pounder, as bright as a new shilling, helpless 

 in the net. 



As "the Scholar" and your humble servant had not met for some 

 time, we had no intention of parting so soon. We enjoyed his plea- 

 sant society for an hour or more ; and then, as he only lent us one 

 gravid fish, finding there was nothing more to be got out of him, we 

 bade him good bye. For the remainder of the day we worked hard, 

 now on this bank, now on that, without moving another salmon. I 

 fear we all walked home silent and sulky. 



On the following morning the air was mild and balmy, and I, at 

 least, set out in hope of high achievements ; but on reaching the 

 river, which yesterday was so bright, we found it thick as pea-soup 

 and yellow as a guinea. The Blackwater in its long course is joined 

 by hundreds of mountain streams : heavy rain falling in the neigh- 

 bourhood of one or more of these is sufficient to produce a fresh in 

 the main river not high, perhaps, but often indescribably dirty. 

 With us, the moisture hardly sufficed to lay the dust. In short, the 

 Blackwater is a carnally-minded stream, prone to break bounds and 

 get into mischief, but slow to return to its happier state of goodness, 

 purity, and order. 



As nothing better may be done to-day, if the reader has no objec- 

 tion, we will " show him the river." About half a mile above the 

 town stand the weirs, and from thence to the tideway the best 

 angling has hitherto been found ; la creme de la creme lies about 

 midway between these points. We will take the casts in order, 

 pouimencing with those oi; the south side the "Scholar's Throw," 



