196 O'er Crag and Torrent 



mechanically my March brown and Infallible 

 drop lightly under a spreading ivy-clad oak. 

 By the piper ! I thought I had hooked the 

 only fish worthy of the name of Trout in the 

 Camel. There he was, boring up the heavy 

 run one moment ; the next instant he was 

 down at the tail of the pool, lashing and 

 kicking in all his yellow and red speckled 

 glory. What a beauty ! Ah, that was a 

 rush, as he flung himself a foot high above 

 the surface; but he is well and firmly hooked, 

 and by gentle persuasion is induced to come 

 up stream, and is carefully led into some 

 still water, where, after one or two spasmodic 

 rolls, he "throws up the sponge" and turns on 

 his side. I shorten my line a bit, slip my 

 net carefully under him, and there he lies 

 on the mossy bank, a perfectly shaped three- 

 quarter-of-a-pounder. Oh, blessed day ! I 

 had fished the Camel for several tedious 

 weeks, and so far, he was the best trout I 



