370 OUTDOOR LIFE IN ENGLAND 



and runs suddenly into the weeds in the middle 

 of the steam ; unfortunately for him, they 

 are too thin to afford him any assistance ; a 

 steady but persistent pressure gradually forces 

 him down-stream, and in less than no time he 

 comes floundering into the landing-net, a full 

 two-pounder. 



And now the surface of the water is constantly 

 broken by the circles made by the fish, which are 

 well on the feed ; and as the rise cannot last for long, 

 we must needs make the most of the opportunity. 

 At the mouth of one of the surface-drains, down 

 which the water is pouring from the meadows, 

 another good fish has been making merry with 

 the alder-flies, and he, too, falls a victim to his 

 appetite, much to the satisfaction of one of his 

 poorer relations, who has been longing to step 

 into his shoes, and who promptly takes the vacant 

 place as soon as we have moved on, and matters 

 are again quiet. And so the sport proceeds, with 

 more or less success. Now and again things are 

 apt, as indeed they must be, to go a bit wrong, 

 and more than one good fish contrives to give us 

 the slip at one time walking off with the greater 

 part of a new, but faulty, casting-line. Such 

 minor contretemps but add to the excitement of 

 the sport, and if fish were always to be caught 

 without trouble of some kind, fishing would 

 be but tame work ; after all, the bag is quite 

 heavy enough by the time the * rise ' is over 

 and three brace of well - conditioned trout 



