48 SALMON RISING. 



glistening stream " spirits away" the pretty 

 laughing rivulet they nourish. Do you mark 

 yon mountain "booming" in the distance up the 

 valley yet a mere hillock, I suppose, compared 

 with Snowdon or Moel Shabod ? 



Theoph. Aye ! On either side lie two famous 

 trout lakes ; to the right Lyn Crafnant ; and to 

 the left, one with as many " aliases" as a New- 

 gate prisoner Tal y Llyn, otherwise Tal y Esyn 

 (after a famous bard, to whose memory a cross 

 has been there erected), or Gerionedd. Now 

 turn we to the fair Conway, our field of budding 

 honour ! 



Herb. Well, I declare, there is a large fish 

 leaping in the river at the moment. It is a 

 tempting sight ! Could you not catch him ? 



Theoph. Oh, that he would afford me the 

 chance ? But he will not. 'Twas a fine salmon, 

 and by his brightness not long since from the sea. 

 He rose in very wantonness : and when they do 

 so, however lovely to behold, it is anything but 

 an encouraging sight, whatever " Salmonia*" 

 may say or imply. It is no indication that they 

 are on the feed, or willing to accept the fly ; 

 because it is next to certain, that flies on the 

 surface are at no time their food : and I con- 

 ceive that, though we call our bunches of steel, 

 tinsel, and feathers, " flies," the salmon views 



* P. 103. 



