348 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. 



dozen times did I go through the same performance, 

 only varied by occasionally hooking a brace at the 

 same cast. I feared, with such incessant work, my per- 

 fect little rod would get strained, but I was disinclined 

 to give up. Having once filled my large basket, and 

 being in a fair way to repeat the performance, I moved 

 forty yards lower down towards the tail of the stream, 

 where, from the placid appearance of the surface, I 

 had little doubt I could wade. With the assistance of 

 the pole of my landing net, I succeeded in staggering 

 out to a shoal bank of gravel, about ten yards from 

 the brink, and although quite up to the knee, esta- 

 blished a firm footing ; and each cast rose or hooked a 

 fish. The water appeared to be alive with trout ; first 

 one would spring several feet clear of the water with 

 a vim and energy positively speaking of determination ; 

 another would only barely come to the surface, leaving 

 110 other indication of his presence than a miniature 

 whirlpool; while a third would roll over like a grampus, 

 displaying a good view of his golden, strongly pro- 

 portioned, handsome side, raising the demon of cove- 

 tousness in my breast. I have frequently sought 

 for a satisfactory reason for the different degrees of 

 ardour which fish exhibit in taking the fly. I am 

 inclined to believe that much is to be attributed to 

 caprice, and not hunger, for it is very rare to see a heavy 

 fish entirely disengage himself from the water when 

 about to seize the cunningly- devised imitation. 



Several fine fish had fallen to my prowess, and 

 step by step, with cautious care, I advanced clown the 

 river, till I had almost got within casting distance of 

 the bottom of the pool, where the stream was con- 

 tracted previous to forming another rapid. 



