IN A FISHING COUNTRY 



was creditable to the fisherman and shows 

 the unusual nature of the fishing. On a 

 day of such stillness that distant move- 

 ments could be discerned, a little disturb- 

 ance in the very middle of the lake 

 seemed worth investigating, and, as the 

 canoe stealthily approached the spot, a 

 pair of large trout were seen to be playing 

 on the surface, not apparently feeding, 

 with back fins out of water. A long line, 

 straight and true, dropped the flies some 

 feet short of them. One sank quietly; the 

 other came forward in the most leisurely 

 way, passed the Parmacheene Belle on the 

 tail of the cast without making a motion 

 towards it, followed the slowly-retreating 

 Yellow May, and closed his jaws upon it 

 with heart-breaking deliberation, at the 

 last possible instant. Then he woke up! 

 Only a man practised in dealing with list- 

 less half-persuaded salmon, would have 

 held the mean betwixt slackening and 

 quickening the pace. A breathless specta- 

 tor admired the art which kept the fly just 

 barely alive until the fish came up with it 

 and took his slow resolve. 



The good Izaac reminds us that no man 

 yet lost that which he never had, but he 

 does not discourage a little reasonable 

 102 



