FLY FISHING FOR TROUT AND GRAYLING. 273 



down stream, never rising from my knees, till I brought him 

 within reach of my boy, who was ambushed with the landing 

 net close above the bridge. No. i safely basketed, I resumed 

 my former position, and waited ten minutes before essaying 

 another cast, which proved immediately fatal to No. 2. In 

 brief, I continued these tactics till I had landed six brace of 

 good fish from that one spot, and then sauntered leisurely to- 

 wards my inn, intending to have my fish weighed at Dobson's 

 by the way. 



I have already mentioned this name in the baldest fashion, 

 and ought to explain that the worthy watchmaker who bore it was 

 in those days a sort of factotum to the ' D.A.C.' An angler 

 himself, he well knew what part of the stream would promise 

 the best sport on a given day, and what fly was likely to be strong 

 on the water. Then he was purveyor-general of tackle, his 

 assistants tying not merely attractive but strongly built flies, 

 which might be trusted with the heaviest fish. Lastly, he kept 

 the register of captures, now left to the head keeper, and it was 

 the common practice after a day's fishing to take one's basket 

 to his shop to be weighed. My boy Keddey hurried on thither 

 before me, proud of his burthen, but on overtaking him at the 

 door I found him sobbing bitterly. He expounded his grief 

 in these broad words : The gentlemen will say yo' nobbled 

 'em, and ah know yo' didn't.' The fact was that there were 

 six rods on the water that day, and my fish weighed 18 Ibs. as 

 against 14 Ibs. to the joint credit of the rest. A novice, the 

 1 net proceeds ' of whose day had been nil, started between joke 

 and earnest the notion that I must assuredly have been plying 

 my landing net in the spring- ditches. Hence my poor boy's 

 sorrows. How well I remember the jovial club dinner of that 

 evening ! I had much los when the tale of my success was 

 told. But in truth there was little to brag of ; anyone might 

 have done the same who understood fishing ' fine and far off/ 

 and spared no pains to keep out of sight. 



The question of fishing up or down stream is closely con- 

 nected with this part of my subject. There is now so general a 

 I. T 



