84 BROOK AND RIVER TROUTING 



Another personal experience will perhaps serve 

 to illustrate other possibilities. Towards the end 

 of June, after seven weeks' drought, the writers went 

 to the upper reaches of a North Country river, 

 where, thanks to the generosity of the proprietor, 

 they were permitted to have a few days' fishing. 

 Owing to the long spell of dry weather the river, which 

 at the best of times is there little better than a good 

 sized beck, had shrunk to a mere trickle with deep 

 pools here and there. The whole bed of the river was 

 thickly coated with a green slimy growth. 



Local opinion had it that fishing was waste of time 

 until a good flood came to clean the bed of the river. 

 Enthusiasm prevailed, however, as it was the first 

 opportunity one of the party had of fishing this stretch, 

 and the chance was not one to be missed, even though 

 the prospects held out no great hope of success. 



Up to about noon on the first day he who was 

 strange to the water had never a fish to show for his 

 efforts, although the trout were there and plentiful. 



What with the oppressive heat and persistent 

 failure, much of the keenness of early morning had 

 worn off, and it was with a feeling akin to relief that 

 the angler unslung his creel and threw himself on to 

 the bank where he might enjoy a cigarette under the 

 cool shade of the trees. 



As the wreaths of smoke curled upwards, the 

 unsuccessful one, with his back propped against the 



