3obn Jgounger 375 



means that we were obliged to forego the satisfaction of 

 our prize, and suffer a severe reprimand, amounting to 

 as near to a full prohibition for the future as the strict 

 law of the case could warrant him to threaten. So we 

 had to re-wade the water, and be content to go home as 

 we were, reconciling ourselves as far as possible with 

 reflections on the straightforwardness of our conduct, 

 and at the same time rinding excuse to appropriate 

 without appeal all we might so catch in the moonlight 

 of the future. And as individuals were then casually 

 employed by the tacksmen of the waters to fish for the 

 one half of what they could kill, and we having thus 

 found out the gentle trick of the trout fly on the fine 

 single gut, then only newly introduced to the country 

 here, that very week, in the pure summer water, we took 

 the liberty of repaying ourselves in full weight and 

 measure. Years previous to this I had been famed in 

 a local circle for fly-dressing ; had dressed a ' Nancy 

 Dawson ' for old John Wight of Crago'er, a fly as long 

 as his forefinger, dressed upon fifteen horsehairs for his 

 cold winter weather slaughter ; had in consequence 

 gained credit with him ; and had been frequently down 

 along with Will Balmour fishing for old John, then 

 himself unable to handle the rod from old age, on which 

 occasions he allowed half of what we would catch. I 

 therefore had killed several salmon with the regular 

 salmon fly ; but this trout fly used for salmon in the fine 

 clear summer water was a new discovery. After this 

 David and I resumed correspondence with old Wight, 

 gratifying and amusing him with the fine gut and the 

 trout fly, which, conceiving to be such inadequate means 



