HOT DAYS ON THE AVON 157 



duns nor spinners about ; probably there were some of 

 the latter, which escaped notice owing to the light. 



The second day was even hotter than the first, and 

 not so eventful. On the main river I could do nothing, 

 but picked up a nice brace of grayling in a carrier 

 downstream in the morning, lost two trout and caught 

 and returned a third in the other carrier in the after- 

 noon. There, too, I saw a monster of quite four 

 pounds. He lay in some weeds in the middle of a 

 long narrow pool, occasionally coming out a little way 

 as though prospecting. Once he took a fly, and once 

 in great indignation he chased another trout the whole 

 length of the pool. I could not rise him, but I took 

 note of the pair of them for the evening, and turned 

 homewards. On the way I caught sight of another 

 monster just above a foot-bridge over the main stream, 

 and fished for him for a little, being somewhat puzzled 

 by his restless demeanour. He swam swiftly about in 

 an aimless fashion, and at last came close by where 

 I was kneeling. Then his red fins and silver scales 

 proclaimed him a big chub, the only one of his kind 

 I saw in the whole fishery. His behaviour suggested 

 loneliness in a way that was not without pathos. 

 Near him was a trout of about one and a half pounds 

 in a state of acute nervous suspicion. It behaved like 

 a small dog that would like, but does not dare, to fall 

 upon and slay a bigger one. I should say the chub 

 had not long been in that spot, and that the trout was 

 meditating schemes for driving him away. 



After dinner I made a cautious return to the carrier 

 and the home of the four-pounder. He is still there. 

 But fortune smiled upon me none the less, and a small 



