AUGUST ON THE ITCHEN. 181 



short intervals, just as though an acorn had 

 dropped into the water. It might of course be 

 a tiny fish, though I did not think so. It 

 might of course decline the sedge altogether. 

 At any rate I warned myself not to make a 

 mistake in the opposite extreme by pulling the 

 fly out of his mouth before he had time to 

 take it. 



In spite of a state of breathless excitement 

 the fly pitched fairly well : and, as it came over 

 the place, disappeared. As I rose from my 

 knees I struck firmly, held the line in my left 

 hand and backed downstream. There was a 

 splendid resistance, a case of rod versus fish 

 which lasted for a few seconds. Then he 

 moved away from the bank as though making 

 for the weed-beds of mid stream. He had lost 

 several yards in doing so. The bank was high 

 but not overhanging. Below us was a channel 

 of deep but open water into which he was free 

 to dive and disport himself until exhausted. 

 After a further struggle I caught sight of him 

 and got the net out for action. 



The first tim'e I reached him the rim of the 

 net only touched his middle. I was afraid of 

 the bank giving way by venturing a foot closer. 

 Each time the net touched him he dived down 

 with his head upstream. Had tie only behaved 

 like a grayling and run down there was a weed 

 bed below that could have spelt disaster to the 

 gut. Three tim'es he had the edge of the net 

 nearly up to his gills, but he managed to slip 

 over it. The fourth time he fell inside and the 



