AN INCIDENT ON THE LATHKILL. 173 



mine ; scores of people have tried for that fish, but he's 

 too artful for them. Give him a try, sir.' I looked at the 

 spot; the fish was rising regularly, sucking in every fly 

 that came down ; but I had no doubt that he could see us 

 perfectly where we stood, as the water was entirely open, 

 and the fish could not be approached from below without 

 one's being seen. It was evident that he always was thus 

 fished for ; and as, when he rose, he could see everything 

 for thirty yards or more away, the instant a line fell on 

 the water of course he was up under the bridge out of 

 harm's way. I shook my head, and declined to make a 

 spectacle of myself for the keeper's amusement ; but I took 

 a look at the place, both above and below bridge, and told 

 the keeper, perhaps half in bravado, that I would catch 

 his fish as I returned. The keeper grinned mighty incre- 

 dulously, and, having pocketed his tip, wished me good 

 morning. Now just above the bridge, and certainly not 

 above five or six feet or so above it, there was a fall or dam 

 of some two or three feet high, and as I looked at it, it 

 struck me that I might, by management, get my fly over 

 the fish without his seeing me. On my return, therefore, 

 I stopped wide of the bridge, and above it ; and after 

 measuring the distance carefully by one or two prelimi- 

 nary casts, I cast as far as possible over towards the 

 farther side of the arch, in the space between the fall and 

 the bridge, and giving all the line I could, I let it sweep 

 round under the arch, chancing the fact of the trout being 

 at home, as I did not dare to look. Sure enough he was at 

 home, and just as my fly was sweeping down towards a 

 straight line I felt a gentle touch, which I answered with 

 a turn of the wrist ; and a nice time I had of it, for up he 

 bolted into the fall, and a pretty jiggering match lie gave 

 me. Finding that I was not to be trifled with, he rushed 

 down under the arch, but it was of no use, for in due time 

 I basketed him, i^nd I had hardly done so and moved 



