FISHING AT HOME AND ABROAD 

 me from midstream; and unless I had run off with the gentleman's clothes, 

 I had no means of reprisal. I refrained from doing so, though they lay 

 in tempting disarray under the alders, and returned to the Plough 

 without having discovered a yard of water where fishing had not been 

 rendered impossible. Sore, and perhaps sulky, at the time, I admit that 

 the scenes of that day remain more brightly impressed on memory than 

 the ordinary course of a morning's fishing would be likely to be. 



The other incident referred to as connected with the Aquarium took 

 place late in the season when the members of our little fishing club (six 

 in number*) were allowed to take a friend to fish. It was early in Sep- 

 tember (our fishing closed on the 15th) when Mr Ashley Dodd came down 

 with me. Each taking a stretch of water, we agreed to meet for luncheon 

 at the Aquarium. Fish were rising capriciously that day, as is their wont 

 towards autumn. I forget what I brought back with me to the trysting 

 place — ^whether one brace or two; whatever it was, Mr Dodd had twice as 

 many. I asked him what they had been taking. "Oh," said he, "I soon 

 gave up the small flies; I got them with this" — showing me a hideous 

 great red palmer with two hooks dressed tandem. 



"You have been working the hatch-holes, I suppose," quoth I, dis- 

 dainfully. 



" Not I," said he; " I got all my fish in the open stream. I always put 

 on this when they refuse a floating fly." 



Now there was a good trout stationed over against where we lay on the 

 bank; not rising, for there was nothing to rise at, but poised in a very 

 attractive way. I had passed a red quill over him thirty or forty times 

 before luncheon without eliciting the slightest recognition; no, not the 

 quiver of a fin. 



'* Put your abomination over that one," said I, " and see whether he 

 will notice it." 



Mr Dodd let out a long line and, throwing the palmer several yards 

 above the trout, allowed it to come past him, well sunk, with a lively jerk- 

 ing motion. At the first offer the trout woke up at once, dashed at the 

 palmer, missed it, and returned to poise. The second time he seized it 

 and was soon landed — 2 lb. 



I confess that I have never been quite so keen about dry-fly fishing since 

 witnessing this as I was before. If Itchen trout (and there are none that 



"The late Earl of Northbrook, Sir Edward Grey, Hon. C. Mill* (now Lord Hillin^don), the late Mr Bonham 

 Carter, the late Mr Charles Barrinjton and myself. 



118 



