ON RAPID STREAMS. 53 



netting', and fishermen whipping the crystal 

 water, become excessively timid, rush off on the 

 slightest appearance of a strange object, to stones 

 and hovers, and are, from reasons which we have 

 before considered, with great difficulty deceived 

 by artificial baits. If after a long drought at this 

 time of the year a heavy rain succeeds and in- 

 creases the size of the stream, converts the ex- 

 tended shallow clear water into a series of rapids, 

 deeper in breadth and heightened in colour, we 

 may.be sure, as soon as the mud has settled so as 

 to allow the fly to be seen, of fine sport. All the 

 trout seem full of activity and animation ; they 

 run up from larger streams and take the fly most 

 greedily, and no season or period of the year is 

 equal to autumnal fishing, on water in good con- 

 dition, after a long drought ; one wonders where 

 all the trout come from, for so lately the river 

 seemed unoccupied, and now it looks quite alive 

 with them ; a new supply indeed has come up 

 from larger streams, which in their turn are now 

 proportionally becoming deficient. 



We will now begin, if you please, the season. 

 Winter with snow and frost is ceasing ; the sun 

 begins to show our nearer proximity to him ; the 

 marshes over which so recently we wandered, 

 frozen, and perhaps white with snow, in search 

 of the swift-flying, twisting snipe, are now as- 

 suming a drier and greener appearance; the 

 coverts through which we have toiled for the 

 woodcock to the sportsman, the grand and su- 

 preme attraction in covert shooting are now 



