100 FISHES AND FISHING. 



asleep. I directed my fly so repeatedly before one, that 

 at last it awakened him, and he was soon in my bag. 

 I tried the same plan with several others without suc- 

 cess, and determined not to go home without a com- 

 panion for the one I had caught, 'if I could prevent it. 

 I scratched up a worm with the spear of my rod from 

 the bank, shifted my fly for a plain appropriate hook, 

 which I baited, shortened my line, and gently drop- 

 ping my bait into the stream, about a yard before the 

 largest trout, guided it down to his mouth j he did 

 not notice it ; therefore, cautiously withdrawing the 

 worm after it had passed him a yard or two, I tried 

 it a second, and the third time I saw the worm dis- 

 appear, and the trout's jaws began to move, as if he 

 were masticating, when with a little turn of the 

 wrist, I had him securely. I caught two brace more 

 in the same manner, and could have taken as many 

 as I pleased. My companion tried to do the same, 

 but could not succeed. After that, whenever I went 

 to the free waters, I always had a long bamboo rod, 

 and a few worms, so if ihe weather proved unfavour- 

 able for fly angling, I could generally make sure of a 

 brace or two, by this mode. I do not consider this 

 fair fishing exactly, neither did I ever practise it in 

 any but free waters, wherein all arts are considered 

 fair. About the year 1839, whilst lantliug a trout 

 which I had hooked in the river Test, Hampshire, I 



