AMONG THE HILLS 277 



rejoice to see a great trout. Wading out, recovering 

 line as we go, we advance the net, but at sight of it 

 the captive awakes and dives below, the reel scream- 

 ing merrily the while. It makes a bold endeavour 

 to plunge into an island of weed, but is prevented ; 

 then into another farther down, but we keep on all 

 the strain the 5x gut permits, and succeed in steering 

 it past these danger zones. Full fifty yards from 

 where we hooked it we take command and lead it 

 unprotesting to the net. 



A more rousing fight we have seldom had. We 

 lay the superb trout, exactly ij Ib. in weight, upon 

 the grass, and stand over it in admiration. It is 

 the finest specimen we have ever taken from the 

 river. Throughout the season it has seen many 

 hundreds of flies and has ignored them all ; it has 

 baffled dozens of anglers ; it has eluded the poacher's 

 net, and at last it has succumbed before the deadly 

 Rough Olive. 



Filled with a great contentment we carry on, 

 caring little whether we fish or not, but now another 

 Olive takes the place of the Black Spider. The 

 time passes quickly and pleasantly among the hills, 

 and now and then the net reaches out to embrace 

 another victim. Soon we halt and arrange on the 

 grass beside the favoured pool eleven beautiful 

 trout, headed by the great trophy, followed by two 

 or three half-pounders, and so through a tapering 

 series to the first fish of the day. 



