148 AN OPEN CREEL 



Presently, however, they failed to sympathize with 

 me. " 'E's chucked 'im in again," said the first speaker 

 in injured tones. The other demanded an explanation 

 boldly. I gave it to him. " Too small !" he repeated 

 without comprehension, and then thought it over for a 

 while. Presently he observed, " I say, Bill, 'e says it's 

 too small," and then he chuckled. Thereafter, at 

 intervals for several minutes, the two words were 

 repeated in tones of scorn and derision, until at last the 

 boys got tired of it and wandered away, more in sorrow 

 than in anger. A little later I hooked another grayling 

 of much the same size, and was playing it when some 

 ladies came by. Again sympathy was imperfect. 

 " Poor, dear little thing !" said one of them, and I had 

 a most uneasy suspicion that she could, an she would, 

 have said something pithy and penetrating about me 

 too. I shall always regret the fact that she passed on 

 with head averted, and did not see the little grayling 

 go in again. To be condemned for a five-ounce gray- 

 ling one does not mean to keep is hard. 



But who shall escape criticism that angles where the 

 public passes by ? I know a water where the public 

 leans on a bridge while the fly-fisherman is busy below. 

 Sometimes a trout is caught there ; oftener it is a chub 

 or dace. And practically always the fish, whatever it 

 be, is beneath the size-limit, which is fairly high. " / 

 don't go fishing to put 'em in again," is a favourite 

 comment, or, " Say, mister, if you don't want it, give it 

 to me." Occasionally I have seen as many as thirty 

 indignant faces looking at me as some chubling has 

 gone back to the water. Now and then I have 

 tried to explain apologetically, but sympathetic the 



