50 THE VALE OF GALA. 



they always lie watching their prey ; for trouts, 

 unlike the arch enemy, do not roam up and 

 down at this time. But you must cast to all 

 holes and corners, with a clear conscience and a 

 quick eye, to the filling of your pannier by 

 honest fishing Be aye ready to land your fish, 

 and, therefore, keep near the side and cast to- 

 ward the middle, this vjill enable you to do so, 

 easily, for, in Scotch rivers, we seldom carry a 

 landing-net. But, if you can wade up the 

 middle of the stream, and make your cast from 

 side to side, like a clock pendulum, then do it. 

 Now, suppose you have caught a dozen or two of 

 these flies, no easy matter, for they run very 

 swiftly and hide in a twinkling below the stones, 

 they also have a most extraordinary facility of 

 dropping themselves off the brackens and dis- 

 appearing in the grass ; you must be prepared 

 with a box, the same as you have for the creepers ; 

 but a little experience will soon show you that 

 this, like Touchstone's 'mustard, is naught.' 

 You must, then, be prepared with a tin case, 

 made like unto an horn, with a lid at the small 

 end of it ; and when you need to replenish your 

 hook, which is at times very often, you can 

 take out one without losing the whole bink. Now, 



