72 THE TROUT ARE RISING 



and I did not care one penny how any of the 

 birds or beasts had been formed." 



If you must fish on a July day, the fly-rod 

 may be taken out, but in the full glare of the sun 

 it will probably be in vain. There are other 

 branches of the art, however. Maybe, a roach 

 swim by a sheltered bush suggests a little old- 

 fashioned bottom-fishing. When you approach 

 the spot you will often find that some careful old 

 Severnsider has already been there. You may 

 see signs of him in the depressed grass and 

 that stake, forked like a catapult, on which the 

 roach-rod has rested. Roach or dace or chub, 

 attracted by gentles that are on the hook may 

 cause the red-tipped float to stab the water ; or 

 the bold-biting perch in an adjoining pool may 

 have a go for the worm. In any case you are 

 fairly sure of attention from the gudgeon, busy 

 but not required. Nay, if a passing pike-fisher 

 is live-baiting, he will be glad of a fresh-caught 

 gudgeon. And, if you have enough of them, a 

 dish of gudgeon fried in bread crumbs is not to 

 be despised. 



Unless something exceptional happens, Severn 

 fishing on a warm July day is not taken too 

 seriously. But the old pipe will smoke grate- 

 fully. And landscape values, as the artists calls 

 them, will be noted, and this or that meadow- 

 scene be regarded as subject fit for a memory 

 picture. 



In autumn and winter Severn roach-fishing 

 has many devotee^. At Cound on two days 



