26 WA TERSIDE SKETCHES. 



as I drift and whip, are very lively, and I get excellent sport 

 for the space of an hour ; and the trout are all within an 

 ounce of the same size, each being about a pound and a 

 quarter in weight. 



This is a trifle strange, but so it is. A dozen and one of 

 them lie in my basket, thickset fish ; much yellower in colour, 

 however, than I care to see, and as like as peas. It does 

 not require very careful fishing to get them, for the wind 

 assists you in the casts, and the trout take the Mayfly boldly 

 the moment it touches the rippled surface, or not at all. 



The wind drops, and the sun, letting a searching daylight 

 into the bottom of the lake, reveals all its pretty traceried 

 labyrinth of aquatic vegetation. Deep down, cosy 

 amongst the weeds, I descry shoals of perch, and now I am 

 no longer puzzled. In the mud no doubt there are eels 

 .also, and perch and eels, it is well known, give the spawn 

 .and fry of trout little chance. There being, as I conclude, 

 few small trout in the lake, the heaviest fish have very likely 

 fallen to my share. On the whole I have done passing well 

 for so brief a time, but sport wholly ceases when the calm 

 comes. The fish, however, are leaping on every hand, 

 whereas before, when the remunerative fun was fast and 

 furious, not a rise was to be seen. But every trout angler is 

 aware that those frivolous splashes which make most noise 

 and commotion are ominous signs another illustration, in 

 a word, of the adage " Great cry and little wool." 



Until now I have frequently heard of perch taking the fly. 

 Without going so far as to say I was incredulous on the point, 

 I may here confess that I would not believe it except from 

 authentic information. But there is no length of impu- 

 dence to which a hungry perch will not go ; and a humorous 



