SPAIN 329 



of geese no great distance away. He then placed us in line, about 

 a couple of hundred yards apart, in holes in the ground, in which 

 we had to lie flat on our backs on waterproof rugs until the birds 

 flew over. Having made which arrangements, he started off alone 

 on horseback to beat for us, which he did to such good purpose 

 that by half-past eight we had thirteen geese. And we should have 

 had a good many more, only it must be confessed that there were 

 a great many clean misses, as the position is not an ideal one to shoot 

 from. Moreover, the tendency is to aim too far back, as the birds 

 seem to fly so much more heavily than is really the case. The 

 professional goose-shooters of Coria del Rio have a big reputation, 

 but the aforementioned places are the best in Spain. 



I am asked to say something of the fishing in my country, but 

 I can only add a few notes in the sad knowledge that poaching 

 has clone even more harm here than to shooting. There is certainly 

 good sea-fishing on the coast, and there are barbel in almost all 

 the rivers, those of the Tagus running to a large size, and freely 

 taking a hook baited with a grasshopper or with the entrails of 

 a quail or similar bird. But I imagine that it is of salmon and 

 trout that I am expected to write in a sporting book, and the 

 opportunities for catching either of these fish are somewhat rare. 



There are, it is true, salmon and sea-trout in many of the northern 



rivers, and they take the fly readily, but excessive 



,. . iri- xTir-1 1 • Salmon and 



poachmg rums the hshmg. With trout the case is 



somewhat more hopeful. The province of Segovia 



is particularly favoured by trout, and there are excellent streams in 



