268 AN OPEN CREEL 



and a small Francis chub fly thrown close to the reeds 

 at several likely spots produced no response. Pre- 

 sently a kind of gap in the reeds opposite attracted 

 attention. It was not an opening, but rather a depres- 

 sion, as though the reeds had been pressed down 

 across an opening, making a barrier about three feet 

 high. The boat was paddled up to it, and then it 

 became obvious that there had been an opening, which 

 had been choked up, possibly by accident, possibly by 

 design. On the other side of the low reed wall was 

 another pool, a small round place about thirty yards 

 across, with a little reed island in the middle. 



And here at last were the rudd, swimming lazily 

 about in the sunshine close to the island, and looking 

 like reddish-brown shadows. A better point of vantage 

 for the angler could not have been designed. From 

 behind the reeds I could cast a fly into the middle of 

 the shoal and run no risk of detection if I kept fairly 

 still, and I could also watch its effect. The fly fell 

 within a foot of the island at the first cast, and was 

 drawn gently away from it. Immediately three fish 

 turned and followed it in a leisurely manner. Presently 

 the line tightened, there was a gentle strike, and a 

 gleam of deep gold showed that rudd No. i was hooked. 

 He was played rather gently at first, so that he might 

 not splash about on the surface and alarm his fellows, 

 but as he was gradually enticed away from the island 

 more pressure was applied, and before long the net was 

 dipped into the water on the other side of the barrier, 

 and his capture was assured. The fish was a really 

 gorgeous spectacle in the bright sunshine, his scales 

 glowing with a deep red-gold, and his fins as red as 



