TROUT. 149 



river Colne, in Hertfordshire, in the summer of 1815, 

 having laboured all day with the fly, and contributed 

 but little to his pannier, before quitting the water-side, 

 bethought him of having a venture with a snail, which 

 he substituted for his artificial temptations. In a short 

 time he struck a very heavy fish, which, after playing 

 for a while, he at length brought to the surface of the 

 water, though not sufficiently near enough to make 

 sure of him. The fish was a large one; and the 

 captor's attendant having quitted the ground, and gone 

 to a neighbouring cottage, he was left without a land- 

 ing net. There was, consequently, no alternative but 

 " playing him till tired," an antiquated practice now-a- 

 days, and never resorted to but in desperate cases, like 

 the present. " The creature at length appeared to be 

 exhausted, and was towed to the bank; but the angler, 

 in trying to lift him out of the water, tore the hook from 

 his mouth, and the prize slowly sunk to the bottom. The 

 stream was at that spot deep and clear, but not swift; 

 and the angler had the mortification of seeing his trout 

 lying gasping almost within his reach. Perplexed and 

 baffled, he put on another snail; but without hope. By 

 this time the fish had recovered, and began to move 

 out into the middle of (he stream. The snail was 

 placed before him, and, wonderful to relate, he darted at 

 it, gorged it, and struck off up the stream. This time 

 the angler was more successful; and after a struggle 

 of some minutes, during which his attendant returned, 

 the fish was landed, and found to weigh five pounds. 

 This is a well-authenticated fact; and it is the more 

 remarkable, as the fish must have seen his captor at 

 their first encounter. 



