THE ANGLER'S SOUVENIR. 



47 



curlew, dress a fly on a common hook not to a 

 length of gut clear as the thread of the gossamer 

 and almost as fine, but to a dingy link of five cow's 

 hairs, for he had no thought of playing with the 

 trouts and then, with a rough hazel rod, about 

 nine feet long, and a line to match, begin fishing ; 

 and in two hours catch as many trouts as some 

 cockney fly-fishers, whose rod, flies, and tackle may 

 have cost them ten pounds, take in a whole season. 



SIMPSON. What you say proves that in streams 

 where trouts are so plentiful not much skill is re- 

 quired to take them. May we not, then, conclude 

 that the best fly-fishers are to be found in London, 

 as they are confined to angle in waters where the 

 fish are scarce, and so shy as only to be caught with 

 the finest tackle skilfully managed ? 



TWEDDELL. You may conclude so : and, upon 

 the same grounds, you may also infer that cockney 

 sportsmen, who range the fields within ten or fifteen 

 miles of London, where partridges are scarce and 

 shy, are the best shots. 



FISHER. I know that there are excellent fly- 

 fishers in London ; but the best, I am inclined to 

 think, did not acquire their craft in the Colne or the 

 Wandle, though they may now and then occasion- 

 ally basket a few heavy trout from those streams. 

 Chantrey can throw a long line cleverly, either for 

 trout or salmon ; but he was a proficient in the art, 

 having killed many a trout in Dovedale, before he 

 came to London, and I doubt if he be improved 



