I io FRESH WOODS. 



is preferable to shooting, but not in Jubilee 

 days. I have consoled rather than prided 

 myself on superior wisdom, by roaming be- 

 side a beautiful river. 



I am not aware of the doings of other 

 fishermen on other rivers during the late 

 May Fly season, but on our stream I think I 

 may say that, on the whole, the season has 

 been a failure. 



Four days out of the six working days of 

 last week we journeyed, Piscator and I, 

 forty miles a day from our seaside resort in 

 the hope of retrieving in some measure our 

 bad fortune of the previous week, when 

 the May Fly were in full feather, and the 

 big trout gorging themselves with them, but 

 refusing to look at our superb imitations. 

 Be it known, however, that I did not carry a 

 rod (not being a member) the Angler's Club 

 rules forbid that ; I carried the basket ! I 

 acted as a sort of shadow, or, let me say, a 

 " boy," to Piscator ; so when I say we, you 

 will clearly understand what " we " means. 



On Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and 

 Saturday we made these long excursions ; 

 but almost in vain. On the first day the 

 May Fly was still on in considerable num- 

 bers, and we accounted for our want of 

 success by assuming that the trout were 



