WADING. 125 



whether B had bicycled home disgusted with 



the tide. 



Before I got close enough to see him I could 

 hear the welcome swish of his rod. ' Is that 

 you ' he said ' have you done anything ? ' * No, 

 practically nothing.' ' Well, come down here 

 quickly fair sized yellow fly; they are taking 

 like mad. All our experience is upset. I have 

 got a full dozen, of sorts there he's missed it 

 one of a pound and several tidy fish. To think 

 of our always being told that it was no good 

 when the tide was up. I have never done this 

 in the last seven years; and should not have 

 believed it.' 



The rise was nearly over : he got another, I 

 got two pulls, and after that we whipped away 

 for ten minutes into blank darkness without 

 result. While he was getting off his wading 

 stockings I examined the fish a really good 

 miscellaneous basket fourteen trout, ranging 

 from little three ouncers to several of over half 

 a pound, one of three quarters, and the big one 

 which proved an ounce over our estimate. We 



reeled up and walked home in triumph, B 



pushing his machine and recounting the 

 evening's adventures. My envy quickly vanished 

 under his pleasant assurance that ' you could 

 have done just the same had you been down 

 here.' 



So here was another case of listen to every- 

 body, but try everything too. Seven brace of 

 trout, half of them above the preserved water 

 limit of nine inches, from the Free water, when 



