THE BILLIARD TABLE POOL. 67 



wherever you like, you won't interfere with me 

 I am going above the wire bridge, but if I 

 may give you a hint with those boots on you 

 cannot do better than go down to the bridge 

 you see the wall, and that small grassy island 

 get across to that you will find under the wall 

 and in those runs above, the fish will rise well 

 this evening. Hardly anyone goes there the 

 water is not a foot deep over the rocks between 

 this bank and the island.' 



I thanked him and moved down, wondering 

 secretly whether he wanted to get me out of 

 the way ; for the tug of that lost fish had 

 rather chained my affection to the larch dams 

 as an evening anchorage. It was nearing half 

 past seven when I made up a new cast on the 

 bridge, keeping my eye on the island during 

 the process. ' Not too small a fly a ginger 

 quill for choice ' he had called after me, and 

 much as the idea of an olive asserted itself, I 

 threaded the ginger quill on to a soaked point 

 and climbed down to the river bank. It was 

 a hackled fly which floated inimitably and 

 looked larger than it really was. 



The water parted among some rocks just 

 below the nearest point to the island, and I 

 was just going to step on to one when I made 

 a short cast. It was taken at once and the 

 result was a half pounder jumping on to the 

 stones at my feet with the net clapped on top 

 of him before he could get back. A very 

 little further out two others were rising and one 

 of these was landed. 



