OUR HOLIDAY IN WILD WALES. 77 



opening of this lake ; he is a frequent prize winner, 

 and constantly finds a welcome corner in the weekly 

 newspaper ; but Tom is very modest, and I have not 

 yet prevailed on him to give me only a few verses for 

 "The Fishing Gazette," which, being in Welsh, I am 

 sure would be highly appreciated. He plays the harp 

 " a little." My boatman poet is a giant in strength, 

 and he smiles gently when I sometimes promise to 

 throw him overboard for not bringing me over rising 

 fish. 



Tom is not enthusiastic, indeed rather pessimistic, 

 he does not think the water propitious for fishing, 

 gleams of sunshine, he says, thrown on troubled waters 

 through white clouds cause a glaring shimmer not 

 good for fishing, which I am sure is bosh ; however, 

 it soon came on to rain heavily, and then between us, 

 for it would be invidious to say which boat was most 

 successful, Tom or David's, we captured five and a 

 half brace of fine trout. 



We did not regard this as much to brag about, 

 knowing what has been done here, but we were 

 moderately content, looking for better doings to- 

 morrow. 



Tuesday ', July yd. Attracted by the lovely scenery 

 below the embankment bridge, I employed this morn- 

 ing in an attempt to rise a trout from the bright shallow 

 water of the River Vyrnwy, for, notwithstanding the 

 divergence of its waters to Liverpool, the Corporation 

 is bound to maintain the river's normal supply as a 

 tributary of the Severn, but I only rose and caught 

 one trout. Meanwhile David had taken his pair of 

 enthusiasts on the lake. R. throws the fly with skill 



