THE CURVED MEADOW. 259 



that there are several exceptions to the rule ; 

 for, after being touched by some of no size, I 

 only hooked and landed two, both of which 

 were more found drowned, as a coroner would 

 say, than wounded by malice prepense. I 

 grudged every second that went by, even the 

 time occupied in taking them off the hook. 



It was now less necessary to take cover, and 

 as the larger fish seemed well above me in the 

 smoother water, I cut off the fly, and tied on a 

 fair sized hare's ear with gold ribbing, mounted 

 on rather stronger gut which if it survived 

 could be used at first dry and ultimately wet. 

 Right over on the far side a trout rose 

 repeatedly, almost savagely, and yet would not 

 see it. The shadow of a large elder bush made 

 it difficult to judge the exact distance, though 

 from the desperate gulps he was giving every 

 half minute, it was certain he could not resist. 



I got right opposite at last, threw across, a 

 yard above him, and simply knew he would 

 come. A snap, a strike, three ' rugs ' and he 

 was on, bolting down stream as though he were 

 on fire. A vision of the catch of the season, 

 a two pounder, added excitement to the noise 

 of a stridulous reel. Then I thought he was 

 foul hooked in the tail. Anyhow, his attach- 

 ment was secure, and after taking me back to 

 the rushes again, he was collared, an ugly 

 black headed chap of fourteen ounces with the 

 expression of a bull dog. 



Moving up again to the smooth water the 

 fishing was perfect. An unruffled expanse of 



