186 CORACLE FISHING ON THE DEE. 



sportsman, viz., sympathy between his hand and eye, 

 both of which seemed to act by the same momentary 

 impulse. In the fore-part of hi* vessel was placed 

 a landing-net and a basket, lined with rushes, half 

 filled with the objects of his pursuit. Both sides of 

 the Dee are here thickly wooded; and I really thought 

 never before to have seen a genuine fisherman. His 

 line, to be sure, was not long; but the style in 

 which he threw it under the wide-extending 

 branches of the majestic oaks, was most surprising, 

 and his flies alighted upon the water almost imper- 

 ceptibly. Of the many wily captures which I saw him 

 make, I will only trouble the reader with one : The 

 hole in which he threw his fly was so covered with 

 bushes, that, though I pique myself on a competent 

 knowledge of fly-fishing, I should never have at- 

 tempted to throw into such a place. A large fish 

 rose at it ; but, I suppose, experience having taught 

 him caution, he refused it, when the old fellow, in 

 spite of every impediment, cast it again, so as to 

 light like a feather, exactly above the spot where 

 the fish rose. This art was irresistible : the fish 

 seized it in an instant ; and, in about two minutes, 

 the old man's eyes sparkled at seeing a trout of 

 about a pound, and in excellent condition, safe in 

 his landing-net. Upon looking at my watch, I now 

 found it time to steer homewards, and was just about 

 to depart, when, casting my eyes down the river, 

 I perceived, what is very common in rapid streams, 

 that in one part, the main body of the water took 



