24 HALF-AN-HOUR WITH THE KILL-DEVIL. [PART I. 



The first I ever tried was one of the old 

 mother-o'-pearl sort, spinning from the tail; the 

 Water being the Wandle at Hackbridge near 

 Carshalton. It was a brilliant morning in June 

 when I turned out between four and five, and 

 the mowers were just setting to work as I crossed 

 the meadows. I began with the fly, but it 

 was of no use. The water was like glass, not 

 a cloud over the sun, and the weather-cock 

 pointing to the North-east, though not a breath 

 of wind was perceptible. Finding that I could 

 not get a rise, I at length, from curiosity, put 

 on the] kill-devil, which I happened to have in 

 my book, to see how it would work. I at first 

 threw into a small pool, an off-shoot from the 

 river, just above the mill, where I should not 

 have expected to find any fish at all. Instantly 

 however I had one, a little chap of about a third 

 of a pound. I put him back, and, not having had 

 time to see the spinning of the bait, cast again 

 into, the same place. Again the result was the 

 same, and again a third time, the fish being about 

 the same size and duly returned. I then went to 

 the river, and never before or since did I see any- 

 thing like the effect of that bait. It seemed per- 

 fectly irresistible. No matter how I threw, (and I 



