A Hertfordshire Trout 27 



the rod, and, by using his left hand, got to 

 the fish in wonderful style the very first cast. 

 The fish came with a big wave, and missed 

 somehow, and then for the first time his two 

 pursuers saw and knew for certain that he 

 must be a heavy one. Three times he came, 

 and the third time the rod bent gloriously 

 into a bow, strained to its uttermost. What 

 a fight, and what a strain on mind as well as 

 on rod and tackle whilst it lasted ! But the 

 gallant fish was ladled out, his course being 

 run ; a five-pounder to the ounce, and the 

 famous stream, though it may have yielded a 

 few heavier fish in its time, has surely never 

 yielded a more splendid specimen. It was 

 only when the deed was done, the rod taken 

 to pieces, and the gut examined in the now 

 faint light, that a second fly was discovered 

 on the cast, though the anglers believed they 

 were fishing with one large fly, namely, the 

 alder, which the trout took just under water. 

 The second fly was a small blue upright, and, 

 looking into the matter, the old angler ex- 

 claimed he knew how it was — he could not 



