48 FISHING FOR PLEASURE 



would be a breach of faith. I am afraid I can- 

 not say anything about that day's fishing that 

 would be instructive or even interesting to 

 others, but to ourselves it was quite another 

 matter. 



Our host was just " A fine old English gentle- 

 man, one of the olden time," who " farms his 

 own estate," and looks after it well one who 

 gives you a very hearty welcome, and makes 

 you at home without ceremony or formality; 

 one who says, "There is the river; it is full of 

 big trout; go and catch them if you can." On 

 a stretch of three miles or so, through his own 

 land, he knows where every good fish lies. He 

 came with us, not to fish but to show us where 

 to fish but trout are curious fish to deal with, 

 both as to their uprising and their lying down ; 

 the river happened to be somewhat out of order, 

 being very much above its normal depth owing 

 to its temporarily receiving the influx of another 

 stream above, on which sluicing repairs were 

 going on. Consequently there was no rise, and 

 as every dry-fly fisher knows, the great pleasure 

 of that style of fishing is to see a good rise up 

 the stream or away across yonder under the 

 bank then he has an object in view, some- 

 thing to aim at; his delight is to make a long 

 cast and drop his allurement just above that 

 widening circle, then he is pretty sure of his 

 prey. 



