TROUT FISHING ON THE ANDROSCOGAN. 25 



could wade. With the assistance of the pole of my 

 landing net, I succeeded in staggering out to a shoal 

 bank of gravel, about ten yards from the brink, and 

 although quite up to the knee, established a firm foot- 

 ing ; and each cast rose or hooked a fish. The water 

 appeared to be alive with trout ; first one would spring 

 several feet clear of the water with a mm and energy 

 positively speaking of determination ; another would 

 only barely come to the surface, leaving no other indi- 

 cations of his presence than a miniature whirlpool ; 

 while a third would roll over like a grampus, displaying 

 a good view of his golden, strongly-proportioned, 

 handsome side, raising the demon of covetousness in 

 my breast. I have frequently sought for a satisfac- 

 tory reason for the different degrees of ardour which 

 fish exhibit in taking the fly. I am inclined to believe 

 that much is to be attributed to caprice, and not 

 hunger, for it is very rare to see a heavy fish entirely 

 disengage himself from the water when about to seize 

 the cunningly-devised imitation. Several fine fish had 

 fallen to my prowess, and step by step, with cautious 

 care, I advanced down the river, till I had almost 

 got within casting distance of the bottom of the pool, 

 where the stream was contracted previous to forming 

 another rapid. 



In taking my last throw, I was so near the broken 



