TWO COLNE TROUT 303 



little higher up, however, a trout took the bait fair and 

 square, and made a great commotion in the shallow 

 water for a little while. But it was only a fish of about 

 three-quarters of a pound, and had to be put gently 

 back, fortunately none the worse for the triangles. 

 Nothing more would move in the main stream, so I 

 decided to go down to the weir-pool. I knew there 

 was a big trout there as usual, and I had waited until 

 the cool of the evening before trying for it, as these 

 heavy fish seldom move in summer while the sun is 

 still on the water. The weir is not a wide one, but a 

 strong stream comes over the sill, making it necessary 

 to use heavier tackle in order to get the bait to work 

 deep under the foam straight across the weir. The 

 biggest fish in a weir-pool often lie close under the sill, 

 and it pays to spin as close under it as possible and 

 straight across. A larger minnow made of heavy metal 

 was put on the trace with two spinning leads above it, 

 the whole weighing nearly two ounces, which was 

 enough for the purpose. The triangles of the bait 

 were rusty, and the bindings might have been a little 

 more secure, but something has to be left to chance 

 sometimes, and they might serve. 



The left-hand corner of the weir was spun carefully 

 over first without result, and then I worked along the 

 weir-bridge, casting to left and right alternately, and 

 spinning as deep as possible. At last the minnow fell 

 in the extreme right-hand corner, sank a little, and 

 then was checked. A firm but not too sudden strike 

 clinched matters, and a heavy fish bent the already 

 bent rod as it moved slowly into the deeper water in 

 the middle of the pool. For some five minutes the 



