WEIR-POOLS 239 



short intervals, and from each little pool came one or 

 two little trout, but none from any other part of the 

 stream. Weir-pools, strictly speaking, they were not, 

 but the incident has some bearing on the subject. 

 Then, again, one might dwell on the chalk-stream, and 

 the frequency with which one finds a fish rising in 

 a weir-pool or a hatch-hole when nothing is stirring 

 elsewhere. Frequently has a well-oiled fly cast at a 

 venture on the rough water fetched up a decent fish 

 and helped a meagre basket, to say nothing of the 

 alder or March brown, which in times of stress has 

 achieved like result without aid of oil. The wet fly in 

 the hatch-hole is but perhaps I had better indicate it 

 only, and so pass on. 



Are trout which live in turbulent waters possessed of 

 better appetites than those of the still places, or is 

 it merely that the angler's lure is better disguised ? 

 Possibly both questions lead to some portion of the 

 truth. Possibly, too, the angler himself contributes to 

 his own success by his confident attitude. Even in a 

 sport where so incalculable a quantity as fishes' appetite 

 or mood has to be considered, the mental condition of 

 the fisher is not without its importance. If a man is 

 keen and confident he loses no chances, neglects no 

 likely spots, and does not think it too much trouble to 

 change his method or lure if things are not going 

 briskly. When the edge of his keenness has worn off, 

 as after the unremunerative hours by the open reach 

 mentioned before, he continues to fish but half- 

 heartedly, and so may be partly responsible for con- 

 tinued ill-luck. 



Some weir-pools there are, I know from sad ex- 



