35 



I was fishing on the Teeme, at Tenbury, for greyling. I 

 was staying at the White Swan Inn, near the bridge, and 

 had a very good week's sport. A gentleman angler met 

 me one day by the stream, and, as is usually the case, 

 enquired : " What sport ? " and asked to see my basket. 

 "With pleasure," I replied, and thereupon emptied its 

 contents (eight brace) on the grass. "Dear me," said he, 

 "what have you killed them with?" " The willow fly," 

 I said, " and if you will allow me, I will put one on your 

 collar." While doing so, a fish rose. I said, "Now sir, 

 make a cast, for the fish appear to be on the feed." I 

 noticed, from the way he handled his rod, that he could 

 throw fairly, and at the second cast the fish took the fly 

 and was well hooked ; but as the fish was turning he 

 made a rash strike, and away it went with the fly and the 

 greater part of his collar. Seeing this, I was much 

 annoyed ; and rather hastily asked him if he was in the 

 habit of striking his fish in that manner. " Yes," he said, 

 "I always strike them." "Why?" said I, "do they 

 insult you by taking your fly?" I then asked to be 

 allowed to see the contents of his basket, which contained 

 but three fish. I asked him if he had risen many fish ? 

 " Yes," he replied, " but owing to my bad hooks I have 

 lost them, or I should have had a fine basket of greyling." 

 I told him I was not at all surprised at the low state of 

 his basket, after seeing the way he struck and lost his 

 last fish ; and I advised him to give up striking his 

 fish for the future, when he might reckon upon heavy 

 baskets as the result of his day's sport. 



Some fifteen years ago I accompanied a Scotch 



