ao6 LINES IN PLEASANT PLACES 



I had with me a couple of patterns to wit, the Killer 

 (a sea-trout fly which in a previous visit to Norway the 

 small trout had fancied very freely) and an adaptation 

 of the Alexandra used on the Costa for grayling. Both 

 have silver bodies, but the former is a study in yellow, 

 the latter a harmony in peacock-blue ; and these 

 special dressings were on eyed hooks, say about the 

 size of a medium sedge, though of more scanty material. 

 One of each was put up on an untapered cast of the 

 finest undrawn gut ; but, in ordering the collars to go 

 with the flies, I had begged that every strand should 

 be of picked stuff, round and even from end to end, 

 and that they should be in every detail sound and sure. 

 My temporary gillie D. was by nature taciturn but 

 always willing. This morning he was willing enough, 

 but mum as an oyster. Nay, he sat upon the great 

 grey rock on the little island and watched me make 

 ready with a wonderfully melancholy expression. It 

 was only when a salmon on the other side splashed 

 noisily that he smiled the grim relaxation of features 

 that means resignation tempered with pity, not en- 

 couragement, nor hope, nor approval. His entire 

 demeanour said, " To think that I should have carried 

 the gaff, and gillied good salmon fishermen for years, 

 and be degraded into this mean tomfoolery." A little 

 impressed with his attitude, and, I think I may add, 

 half in sympathy, I advised him as well as I could to 

 rest him tranquilly on the rock, and not worry till I 

 demanded his assistance. Then, hitching up my 

 wading stockings, I went in to less than knee-deep and 

 angled for trout for a quarter of an hour to no purpose. 

 The green, dark water of the regular current was an 

 easy cast out, but the fish I sought were generally 

 taken on its edge, or in about a foot depth of shallow, 

 when the flies came down at the end of a line that had 



