196 TROUT FISHING 



Meanwhile I went on waiting for the great rains. 

 Not a drop was granted to us, though clouds appeared 

 promisingly on several occasions, and though once 

 we even heard the rumble of thunder in the hills. 

 For the most part we had blazing, windless days, 

 and it was only by dry fly in shady corners or by 

 drop-minnow in the deeps that I could extract a 

 few trout while the light was strong. Now and then 

 I went out, and caught breakfast between dusk and 

 dark, a dragging of big flies which involves little 

 skill and some alarms. The riverside at night is 

 an unfamiliar place, full of queer shapes and uncanny 

 noises. On the whole I did not do so badly con- 

 sidering. Though the trout were few, and to be 

 counted by the brace rather than by the dozen, they 

 ran to a better size than they do in spring. Then I 

 have found the average size on a decent day to be 

 under four ounces. On this last visit the trout 

 I caught averaged between five and six ounces, 

 and a fair proportion nearly or quite reached 

 the half pound. Moreover, there were the chub, 

 of which I took toll daily, and with which I had 

 plenty of fun. Chub in a low, clear mountain 

 stream require a lot of stalking, and the sport was 

 not to be despised. 



There was also one salmon which took a shrimp, 

 and a few other salmon which would not take any- 

 thing. Only the first deserves more than passing 



