158 T(HE MAYFLY. 



with mournful envy, wondering if I should ever 

 land such a prize and I never have yet. 



The next day, I was upon the water soon 

 after eleven ; taking up a position just where a 

 double turn in the narrows formed some 

 tempting green glides close under the steep 

 bank. After a short time three fish were 

 located, evidently trout, from the determined 

 snap which caused a mayfly to disappear as 

 though it had trodden on a steel trap. On the 

 opposite side, luckily well away from the water, 

 beyond a clump of brambles and reeds I had 

 an audience, two men ; who not only meant to 

 stop, but had spotted the three fish and pointed 

 them out to each other. ' You see, he'll get 

 'em all ' I heard the one say ; a remark which 

 so touched my pride that I determined to live 

 up to this prophetic reputation in spite of the 

 fact that I had never caught a trout upon a 

 mayfly in my life. 



Nothing went wrong : I was able to get fairly 

 close below the upper fish, cast my gladstone 

 at the head of the run, and before realising 

 quite what had happened, tightened into a nice 

 trout, netting him almost at my feet (i Ib. 6 

 ounces) to the huge satisfaction of the chief 

 actor, and the audience on the bank. Both the 

 others followed his greedy example at the first 

 cast, i Ib. i ounce, and i Ib. 4 ounces the 

 best trio I had ever taken consecutively. 



Never did the words ' I told you so ' sound 

 so sweetly in anyone's ears as on that occasion. 

 Inwardly I vowed the reward that mugs of 



