A PLENITUDE OF FISH. 359 



deception ; one I hooked firm and strong, and soon brought 

 to net : a dozen times did I go through the same perform- 

 ance, only varied by occasionally hooking a brace at the 

 same cast. I feared, with such incessant work, my perfect 

 little rod would get strained, but I was disinclined to give 

 up. Having once filled my large basket, and being in a 

 fair way to repeat the performance, I moved forty yards 

 lower down towards the tail of the stream, where, from the 

 placid appearance of the surface, I had little doubt I could 

 wade. With the assistance of the pole of my landing net, 

 I succeeded in staggering out to a shoal bank of gravel, 

 about ten yards from the brink, and although quite up to 

 the knee, established a firm footing ; and each cast rose or 

 hooked a fish. The water appeared to be alive with trout ; 

 first one would spring several feet clear of the water with 

 a vim and energy positively speaking of determination ; 

 another would only barely come to the surface, leaving no 

 other indication of his presence than a miniature whirlpool ; 

 while a third would roll over like a grampus, displaying a 

 good view of his golden, strongly proportioned, handsome 

 side, raising the demon of covetousness in my breast I 

 have frequently sought for a satisfactory reason for the 

 different degrees of ardour which fish exhibit in taking 

 the fly. I am inclined to believe that much is to be 

 attributed to caprice, and not hunger, for it is very rare to 

 see a heavy fish entirely disengage himself from the 

 water when about to seize the cunningly-devised imitation. 

 Several fine fish had fallen to my prowess, and step by 

 step, with cautious care, I advanced down the river, till I 

 had almost got within casting distance of the bottom of 



