DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 43 



this way, and then I wound back with some little haste 

 to excite to a decision any trout that might be deliberat- 

 ing; for thought with trout means wisdom. Trout 

 that have cut their wisdom teeth are in little danger 

 from man's temptations excepting only when they are 

 as mad as mad can be. The ^lay-fly week is your 

 only chance on many rivers, and then the biggest fish 

 seem the maddest ; but a Thames trout has lived in 

 such luxury from his cradle up that no f^y moves him 

 nor any particular season. You must get him on the 

 rush, w^hen in pursuit of food, by some antic of 3^our 

 lure that shall attract his attention beyond all else that 

 fiees from him. There is just one other chance; and 

 that is when he has come from out his haunt and risen 

 high to mouth with gusto the freshened water of a 

 weir-fall. He may be tempted then to seize a bait 

 that is being tossed and swayed here and there, while 

 the attachments that hold it are hidden in the confusion 

 of bubbling water. Perhaps, without a thought of 

 feeding, he may be irritated by the frivolous move- 

 ments of the little fish so near his aristocratic nose 

 and snatch in temper at such seeming impudence. 

 No sport resulted from my efforts beneath the trees, 

 but, while making them, I had twice to run to assist 

 my fisherman to land first a barbel and then a chub. 

 There was a perfect httle tumble of water at the 

 clay bank corner that invited a trial, and it was there 

 I got the excitement of the day. A fish seized my 

 bait with a tug that thrilled through me, and its deep 

 dive and rush gave hope, strengthened each moment 

 by my powerlessness to stay his course, that I had 

 a trout. To add to my chances of a successful issue 

 to the struggle, the course the fish had taken enabled 

 me to round the corner of the weir and go some distance 

 along the high bank to where my efforts would have 

 their best chance of preventing his getting back amongst 

 the piles. The line was taut, the rod bent, my footing 

 safe back beyond the crack that denoted the field's 



