i 4 o FLY FISHING 



shorter and the glory of the trout fishing season 

 does not revive. 



A perfect trout fishing river is not very large, 

 There is fine sport to be had in great rivers, 

 such as the Tweed, but I would rather fish for 

 trout in a smaller river, where the whole of the 

 water can be covered by wading, and where trout 

 can have the main stream to themselves as well 

 as the shallower sides and eddies. On the broad 

 part of the Tweed the question will occur as to 

 whether it would not be better to use a boat, and 

 thoughts of salmon continually intrude. The 

 most famous trout fishing river in Northumber- 

 land used to be the Coquet, and any one who is 

 curious as to its reputation and merit will find 

 these set forth in the "Coquet-dale Fishers' 

 Garland." In size and character and variety of 

 water the Coquet is a perfect river for trout 

 fishing, but the average size of the fish is small, 

 much smaller nowadays we are told than it used 

 to be, and smaller, it seems to me, than it ought 

 to be. Why this should be so I cannot tell, nor 

 why this change, if change it be, in the average 

 size of the trout has taken place. There are 

 plenty of trout, it is the size alone that is 



