TEE IKOLOSIOUS BEATS OF A THAMES TEOUT. 105 



wander, except during the evening, until early morn in 

 quest of food. 



The bank upon which we stood was about five feet 

 highj and by crawling along, keeping ourselves the 

 while concealed in the long coarse grasses growing on 

 its edge, we contrived to get almost immediately over 

 them, and peering through the cover could almost 

 count the brightly coloured spots on their backs and 

 sides, over wMch scarce six inches of water flowed, clear 

 as the proverbial crystal, lighted up by the midday 

 July sun. 



The two larger fish of the party were apparently of 

 about 4 lb. weight apiece, the other three considerably 

 less ; but they were all beautifully spotted with a depth 

 of colour which makes the Thames trout perhaps the 

 handsomest of his species, and at the same time instils 

 the angler with an insatiable curiosity to view their 

 beauties under the altered conditions afforded by a side 

 position with a background of green herbage. We 

 observed them thus for half an hour or more, and 

 except when a foot passenger, boat, or launch passed 

 by, they scarcely stirred, but when so disturbed they 

 would content themselves with leisurely dropping back 

 and out into the deeper water, to return immediately 

 the disturbance had passed away. 



The reason of their selection of this particular spot 

 was not immediately apparent, in fact under existing 

 conditions it appeared a most unlikely resort; but 

 as several bleak were swimming about close by, heed- 



