47 



five and three-quarter pounds. The gentleman who I 

 mentioned before as having had a throw with my rod, 

 came up and asked me how I did it, remarking that he 

 threw as good a line as I did. I replied I could not tell 

 him if he gave me all Hungerford. He begged me to 

 make free with his brandy flask. I dried my fly and took 

 my stand below another fish, on the feed, throwing up 

 stream. At the second cast he took the fly. I mounted 

 my rod and took him down stream, and a rare battle we 

 had. This fish was in first-class condition, and weighed 

 four-and-a-half pounds. The gentlemen cried out, " Now 

 Ogden, for the third fish," which was a little higher up- 

 stream. I sat down on my basket, nearly opposite him, 

 to watch how he was feeding. This he was doing very 

 cautiously, allowing several natural drakes to pass by him, 

 now and then selecting one. He was very wary, and it 

 took me some time and trouble before I could catch him 

 off his guard ; but I stuck to him, giving him a rest 

 occasionally, not letting my fly pass over him more than 

 two or three times on each occasion. He took it at last, 

 and a fine contest we had together. When taking my fly 

 out of its mouth, I discovered an old May fly fast in its 

 tongue, without any gut attached to it. To all appearance 

 it had broken some one previously, and that, no doubt, 

 was the cause of its being so wary. I have both these 

 flies still, and keep them with other old pensioners. The 

 total weight of the three fish was twelve and three quarter 

 pounds. One of the gentlemen said he had been throw- 

 ing over the fish for three days, chiefly using the sunk fly. 

 I gave the fish to them, being well satisfied with the sport 



