102 IN PURSUIT OF THE MAY FLY- 



by what right or by whose authority I was fishing 

 there. I said I was there by the sanction of the 

 owner of the water, and I mentioned his name. 

 " This is not your friend's water, it is mine. This 

 is the third time within three days that my land 

 and my water have been trespassed on, and I 

 will stand it no longer. I must request you to 

 give me your name, and I shall summons you at 

 once." I gave him my name. I humbly apologized. 

 I explained how my mistake had arisen. I told 

 him that I rented a mile of the river higher up, 

 that I had a clear run of at least three miles of it, 

 and he must surely see that I had innocently 

 intruded on less than two hundred yards of his, 

 and I offered him and his friend a day's fishing 

 on my water in exchange for the five minutes I 

 had unconsciously stolen on his. He was mollified 

 at last, and we parted good friends. I was glad, 

 for I am sure that none of you, my friends, would 

 have been pleased to hear that the A. A. had been 

 taken to quod for poaching. 



Then I rejoined the Professor, who had kept on 

 legitimate ground, but no more fishing had we. 

 It came on to rain it poured it was a deluge, 

 and we had no shelter. We made straight for 

 home through meadows of mowing grass two miles 

 in length, and interesting objects we were when 

 we turned up at the Old Inn. 



When I was fishing two years ago on the Wilt- 

 shire Avon with my good old friend, J. G. Morten 

 now, alas ! departed, I found him wearing a 



