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CHAPTER 11. 



A GAME AUTUMN FISH, 



On the receipt of news that the river was in flood for 

 the first time since the summer, we arranged to arrive 

 there a couple of days later, by which time the water 

 would probably be in order, as, although it was just a 

 bit early for a run of large fish, yet there would cer- 

 tainly be a lot up fresh from the sea and so likely to 

 take. 



Upon arrival we were somewhat disappointed to find 

 the river much lower than we had expected, and came 

 to the conclusion that, in the first place, the advice we 

 had received of the height of the flood had been some- 

 what exaggerated, and, secondly, that the two nights of 

 frost which had intervened had caused the river to fall 

 in quickly. However, there was no doubt that the 

 fresh-run fish could not have yet passed by to the upper 

 waters, so we determined to have a few days with 

 them. 



After a few hours at the waterside it was evident 

 there were but few fish up, and those very careful of 



