152 A YEAE OF LIBERTY ; OR, 



During tlie present campaign we have not made the acquaintance 

 of a single white trout. The season is still early, and a month must 

 yet elapse before they make their appearance in the great majority of 

 our streams, but here partly deceived by our own enthusiasm ve 

 w^re induced to believe they had arrived long since. Probably 

 every reader knows that as there are spring and summer salmon, so 

 also are there spring and summer trout, which last occupy to each 

 other exactly the same relations as exist between the spring fish and 

 the grilse. As few rivers at present hold early salmon, so also few 

 contain early trout, though the latter, however, extend over a wider 

 range than the former. The excellence, beauty, strength, and 

 courage of these creatures render them special favourites with all 

 anglers, and it was the hope of enjoying a morning in their society 

 that chiefly made me so anxious to visit Ballysidere ; not, however, 

 that my expectations were limited to these, as I knew there were 

 always plenty of grilse in the water after the first fresh in June. If 

 I add that the terms for angling are extremely moderate ^half-a- 

 crown for a single venture, or one pound per month, together with a 

 fish each day, I think my duty to the public has been done hand- 

 somely, and that I may now go my way in peace.* 



The Ballysidere (formed by the union of the Awinmore and the 

 Arrow, which unite near the town of CoUooney), after leaping over 

 a succession of limestone ledges, thunders in a beautiful cascade into 

 the west-south-west corner of Sligo Bay. Our first glance at the 

 water showed us that it was neither high nor low. A light north- 

 east breeze just curled the surface, and ever and anon a great fleecy 

 cloud passed over the sun, making altogether a very pleasant com- 

 bination. The selection of flies could not occupy much time, as our 

 entire stock tied on the previous night only consisted of five ; 

 three diminutive articles for the " springers " we expected, but did 

 not find and two very small ones for grilse. Mounting our favourite 

 black palmer, as dropper, we looped on the trail, whose prominent 



* The river, together with a pretty cottage, is now, I believe^ to be let to one 

 or two rods. Terms, 100/. per annum. 



