AUGUST 195 



leisurely, and then stroll down to this river. But when 

 an angler scents a spate, he ceases (at least, this one 

 does) to be a reasonable creature. The unknown the 

 unknowable lies before him. He packs up about 

 four times as much tackle as he can possibly require, 

 eats about half as much breakfast as he ought, twice 

 as fast as he ought, and goes forth to encounter fate. 

 Even so, he may fare prosperously; but woe! woe! 

 unto him if he has two rivers to choose between. 



On this occasion, as I have indicated, one river 

 flowed close at hand. Past experience was there to 

 testify to its excellence; anybody but a born fool 

 would have been content with it. ' 0, Pigg ! hambition 

 is a fearful, a dreadful thing,' exclaimed Mr. Jorrocks 

 to his huntsman at the crisis of his fate, and it was 

 ambition that led me into misfortune on this first of 

 August. Parallel with this near river, of which I knew 

 every pool and cast, four or five miles across the hill 

 there runs another river, which, until this day, I had 

 never fished. Report ran that it was marvellously 

 prolific, and that its fish, which seldom saw a fly, were 

 of childlike simplicity hi the matter of rising when 

 they got the chance. The Evil One was at hand ; he 

 always is on such occasions at least, one likes to think 

 it is not innate stupidity which sends one wrong. 

 'Look here!' he whispered, 'don't you go and throw 

 away this chance. Don't be deluded into wasting a 

 day on the Amhuinn Aoidh. Be a man ! Never mind 

 the four mile walk out and in; off you go to the 

 Guseran, and you won't repent the extra fatigue.' 



