CH. II.] A TEN-POUNDER ALL BUT CAUGHT. 25 



had only a fly-rod,) no matter whether they saw 

 me or not they came at it as a hawk comes at a 

 partridge and would not be denied. I put back 

 again all the smaller ones, but, if my memory 

 serves me, I kept two brace, of from about one to 

 two and a half pounds. I was then told, after 

 having been at it about half an hour, or less, that 

 nothing but the fly was allowed, and of course left 

 off at once. 



Even in that short time however, I only just 

 failed to rob the water of (in all probability) its 

 principal ornament. While passing to the river be- 

 low the mill from the pool where I first made trial 

 of my bait, I dropped it into a deep dark pool fed 

 by a back-water which poured down into it with a 

 powerful stream through a slate-lined water-course 

 set at a very considerable angle, and then drew 

 it slowly up this water-course, just to see how it 

 would spin in the rapid current, never dreaming of 

 a fish. Suddenly, however, to my utter astonish- 

 ment, out of the pool came after it with a rush, 

 about ten feet up the water-course, an enormous 

 brute, with a head like a bull. He got within an 

 inch or two of the bait, when, either from seeing 

 me so close to him, or from inability to stem the 

 stream, he fell back, and of course I saw no more 



