103 



a stick, and as the water is too deep to admit of my wading 

 to him, there is nothing for it but to put on some pressure, 

 and either break or take. Bravo ! we will now basket the 

 pair of beauties on a soft bed of grass, and move on. Some- 

 one else has been less successful than myself at this spot, 

 for, hanging upon a branch of the hawthorn bush, dangles 

 a dead sand martin, suspended by a fine trout-line, which, 

 apparently, an angler could not recover without waders. 

 The bird is a young one, with the artificial fly firmly fixed 

 in his lower mandible ; and he has been dead about two 

 days — the victim of some preceding fisherman. As it is 

 useless to attempt to catch fish from the bank in this bril- 

 liant sunshine, let us go a little higher up, to a stretch of 

 the river which can be waded; and the prospect of sport 

 is here most inviting, rising fish being on the feed as far as 

 we can see ahead of us. We must, however, change our 

 fly, for here no iron-blues are showing, but there are 

 swarms of small black gnats skimming the surface, and 

 tempting the trout to jump half out of the water to capture 

 them. 



Here is a beautiful little imitation of the black gnat, 

 made from badger's hair, the hook being no larger than one 

 of the capital letters in the type you are reading. AYhy not 

 put two flies on, do you ask? For the reason that one 

 fly casts truer, and floats more naturally than a greater 

 number; and in bright weather and clear water such as 

 this, to be successful you must cast lightly, and present 

 your lure as much like the natural floating, living insect 

 as possible. Now, let us make a start, and — keep well 

 behind me, do, or our sport will be spoiled. That was a 

 slashing rise, and I quickly get the hooked trout down 

 stream, to prevent his disturbing the water. He is about 

 the same size as the others, and matches them very nearly 

 in the basket. But, look ! there comes the first May-fly of 

 the season ; and, by jove ! that was a capital fish which 

 snapped him up in a twinkling. "Wonder if Mr Trout will 

 condescend to look at my wee midge, after such a 

 luscious mouthful. Tust a foot above his nose I place 

 the inviting morsel in the most insinuating manner; 



