1 1 2 Rambles with a Fishing-Rod. 



man's delight. In fact, when, as on the Con- 

 tinent, the fisherman regards trout-taking as a 

 serious business, the amateur is looked on as 

 an oddity to be tolerated, but not encouraged. 

 I gathered, also, that three or four to the pound 

 is the average size of the Davos trout. 



In the afternoon I obtained the use of the 

 Fluela Hotel boat, having tried the bank-fishing 

 with so little success ; but though there was a 

 fresh northerly breeze, the trout would not rise 

 at all to any fly, large or small. It is true, 

 there was a very bright sun; but the breeze 

 was sufficiently strong to give plenty of motion 

 to the surface of the lake. The fly being use- 

 less, I had recourse to a moderate-sized Devon 

 minnow, but trolled until about a quarter past 

 five without success, though the magnificent 

 view of the Piz St Michel and the Taschen- 

 horn, closing in the lower outline of the valley, 

 was alone sufficient to make the rowing on the 

 lake a pleasure. Hardly, however, had the sun 

 dropped behind the Weissfluh, and the lake 

 grown dark with the evening shadows, than, 

 from an absolutely torpid state, the trout became 

 lively, and more than one run at the minnow 

 showed that they were on the feed. By half-past 



