298 TROUT FISHING. 



latives of all degrees), to make a full basket on 

 a good stream within the twenty-four hours. 

 If other times fail him, there is (late in the 

 season) the evening. This is a delightful hour 

 for angling, when the sun has gone behind 

 the hills and the water is becoming grey, shot 

 here and there with unexpected lights. Ply 

 closely the shallows ; as the darkness comes on 

 the heavy trout leave the deep holes and feed in 

 parts of the stream where there is scarce water 

 enough to cover them. Your tackle must be 

 strong, for it is necessary to be more or less in- 

 dependent of a landing net. Be careful that you 

 fish a clear part of the river, as a tangle or a 

 fixture at such a period almost certainly in- 

 volves the loss of a casting line. These are 

 only a few wrinkles in the craft of trout fish- 

 ing ; they have been picked up by the run- 

 ning brooks. Let not the aspirant think to 

 learn this art by graduating in a punt on 

 the Thames. No cockney with his bait-bag 

 can ever become a genuine trout or salmon 

 fisher. His appetite has been spoiled by the 

 taking of those coarse fish who haunt the locks 

 and skulk about the nasty little towns be- 

 tween London and Oxford. 



