THE ANGLER'S SOUVENIR. 



99 



lime-tree to the ground. A fine portly-looking trout, 

 who would not spring at the most tempting fly, as 

 requiring too much exertion, skulls himself, with 

 two or three gentle strokes of his tail, towards the 

 dainty morsel, which he tips over as you, gentle 

 reader, would an oyster ; and, just as he is de- 

 scending, he feels a slight tickling in his throat ; 

 and before he can ascertain the cause, he finds 

 himself in another element, flying like a bird 

 through the alders that shade his native stream. 



In clear water it is sometimes advantageous, 

 when there is a light breeze, to use two natural 

 flies, with a fine line, putting a small hook through 

 them, under the wings, so that they may lie with 

 their heads in opposite directions, and allowing 

 them to be lightly blown across the stream, or 

 carried down with the current. When using the 

 blowing line, it is necessary to employ a reel. 

 Worms, either lob or brandling, are an excellent 

 bait for trout when the water is rather discoloured ; 

 and even when it is clear trout will frequently take 

 the worm in streamy parts of a river or a burn, 

 when they will not take the fly. When worms arc 

 used, the bait is to be thrown up the stream, and 

 worked gradually downwards to the extent of the 

 angler's line. 



In swift-running streams, the fresh- water or burn 

 trout seldom attains to the weight of five pounds ; 

 and in such streams, in the north of England and 

 in Scotland, by far the greater number of trouts 



