60 UNDER GREEN LEAVES 
alive with trout. They give no sign, however ; the 
water runs too sharp and rippling to show a rise, and 
the formation of the stream would not allow of a fly 
being used. So much the better ; my preparations 
for taking a brace merely to study their colour, for 
I do not care for fish diet are soon made. I take 
the first three joints ofT my walking-stick rod ; then 
I fix up a fine gut line, one foot shorter than the three 
joints ; no shot on it, only the hook. From my very 
small worm-bag I take a nice red worm of only 
medium size, and place it on the hook. Now I am 
ready ; here we fish down stream. There is a large 
stone about six feet below me, round which the water 
spins. Gently stepping back, I throw about two feet 
above it ; the worm goes over. Tug-tug, snick ! I 
have him, and he is on the grass ; a small fish, but 
very thick for his length, which is about that of a 
small herring, and having a golden back and sides 
crimson spotted belly pure white. 
On a shallow below, where the water barely 
covers the stones, more for the fun of the thing than 
anything else, we pitch our worm. The water has 
barely closed over it, when something shoots out 
from the bank and back again. Snick ! comes out 
of it another trout; but he is not so golden as the 
first. He is not hurt, so back he may go again. If a 
