SEA TROUT FISHING 157 



end of it shallow, clear, and hopeless, and of 

 seeing it now full of agitation, life, and rich 

 colour. The stream which was so desultory 

 before, now sweeps right down and through 

 it, rough and noisy at the top, smooth and 

 quiet in the deep parts, but always a good 

 current ; and the whole pool seems full of 

 character. Anything may come in such a pool 

 as this, it may be a small sea trout or one of 

 two, three, or four pounds, or a grilse, or a 

 small salmon. That is the first charm of this 

 sort of fishing, after fishing for trout in a chalk 

 stream ; there is such great variety of size. The 

 average weight of sea trout caught, including 

 the small half-pounders, may be little over one 

 pound, but there is the chance, sometimes the 

 probability, of hooking something of five or ten 

 pounds or more, for grilse and small salmon are 

 always met with in sea trout rivers; and even 

 the sea trout itself gets to heavy weights, 

 though fish of five pounds and upwards are not 

 common. While the river is high and the 

 stream strong the best places are in the 

 smooth currents at the tail of deep pools and 

 heavy water, and in gentler rippling streams at the 



