GRA YLING. 105 



less procession as far as the eye could reach, the water 

 hardly visible beneath its floating burthen. To add to 

 the chagrin we naturally felt, the fish were rising 

 freely amongst the weeds, but it was quite impossible 

 to cast over them. 



By an early train we expected two doughty cham- 

 pions, the Major and "Red Spinner" (probably 

 so called on account of the sanguine yarns he spins). 

 We had vainly thought to open their eyes and 

 water their mouths by the baskets we youngsters 

 had hoped to have exhibited. It was a galling 

 disappointment ; happily, by lunch time the demons 

 above had done their worst, the weeds began to thin 

 out, and by the time the first champion, " R. S.," 

 arrived, our river was as innocent of weeds as if it 

 had never borne any ; and, better still, for a short 

 time, in a well-known corner, called " the Shoulder of 

 Mutton," the rise was fast and furious. We gave up 

 this place of honour to our distinguished visitor. 

 The Major did not arrive till two or three hours 

 later, almost too late for the feast. Our Professor, 

 the most unselfish of men, did not fish, but he accom- 

 panied me down stream, where, in the many grayling 

 beds below, that we knew well, we expected to find 

 an equal uprising of the fish to rejoice in bright sun- 

 shine and swallow insects, after the heavy canopy of 

 green weeds which had for so many hours obscured 

 their daylight. We were not so favoured ; we saw 

 only three rising fish the whole length of our tether. 

 I had captured one \\ Ib. grayling, and hooked and 

 lost another, and, with my rod, the Professor brought 

 a third into the basket. 



