DEVASTATED ARCADIA 275 



of natural flies suggested that the minnows, by preying 

 upon larvae, have had a share in this decline. The 

 trout meanwhile had grown big and fat, as they natu- 

 rally would do, fellows of 3 Ib. and upwards being not 

 uncommon. Mr. Walton fished with nothing but the 

 fly, and had specimens of 3 Ib. to 5 Ib. so taken traced 

 on cardboard and adorning the chalet walls, if haply 

 they escaped the marauders. 



At his last visit, which was in the June of the fateful 

 1914, he killed ten trout, which weighed exactly 10 Ib., 

 in two hours, but this was not a common experience. 

 His best chance of creeling one of the three-pounder 

 type was with a long line, longer patience, and a dry 

 fly. The sport with small lake flies, which was the usual 

 method, was amongst singularly beautiful brown trout 

 of i Ib. average. All, therefore, was not yet lost, and 

 the fishing, even in the lake which had to the extent 

 I have explained suffered a certain deterioration, would 

 be what many of us might, without sin, covet. When 

 the angling was in its prime 1,500 trout was the bag 

 expected and generally realised in a season, and, caught 

 on small lake flies, such a number assuredly signifies 

 much satisfaction. The minnows, frogs, miscellaneous 

 Crustacea, and other foodstuffs in the lake then began 

 to institute a standing veto against such a degree of 

 pleasure. But the fishing of the upper lake, where we 

 found our most joyous sport and surroundings in 1901, 

 seemed to be as good as ever, save that the trout had 

 fallen to a half-pound average. 



One must conclude as one began by wondering what 

 happened at Epioux. The chateau, in the distance, 

 might, after all, have filled the eye of the enemy so 

 effectually that the pretty little chalet was overlooked. 

 They tell you in the district that Prince Napoleon fled 

 there for safety after he had shot Victor Noir, and that 



