TROUT FISHING. 81 



out being too much exposed to the sight of 

 the Trout. 



On the last day of the Trout season in the 

 Thames 1877, I was landing a Pike on one 

 side of the river, when I saw the rise of a 

 Trout under the opposite bank some distance 

 down. Punting across, we dropped quietly 

 under the bank till we got immediately above 

 where my spotted friend had just been chasing 

 the small fry. We kept there perfectly still 

 for about half an hour, till he fed again ; 

 and then over he rolled within three yards of 

 the punt, a bright little beauty of about five 

 pounds. Again he came up a little further 

 off, driving a fish ; but although I threw at him 

 with a spinning-bait, hitting him on two occa- 

 sions, he was too intent on his own fish, and 

 eventually secured it ; so after devoting close 

 upon two hours to him, I was reluctantly 

 obliged to forego the pleasure of landing what 

 would have formed a very good wind-up to 

 the Trout season of 1877. 



THE DACE (Leuciscus vulgaris). 



Live-baiting for Trout is occasionally prac- 

 tised with some amount of success in the 



6 



