64 IN THE VALE OF 



him first, says he is the monarch of the stream, 

 and claims him as his own particular property. 

 To cast up over him was quite impossible. An 

 ardent angler, regardless of having his clothes 

 torn off his back and his flesh excoriated by 

 steel-pointed thorns, may perhaps sit silently 

 in that pleasant bush for an hour or two, and it 

 is just possible that he may wriggle his fly down 

 over him; then what may happen goodness 

 knows, for I should say that to land a 2-lb. or 

 3-lb. trout with a fly-rod in the middle of a 

 thornbush is not a pleasant or tempting opera- 

 tion. Now I really believe that I once did get 

 a rise out of that trout. I got over a stone wall 

 into the next field above, and under a willow 

 which hung over the water I managed to get a 

 long line out, and allowed my " Ragged Robin " 

 to float gently down under the willow and 

 round the corner under the hawthorn, where 

 the big trout lay, quite out of my sight, and 

 there came a big splash just about his lair. I 

 quite believe he came at me. I struck as soon 

 as I could, though I do not believe in very 

 quick striking down-stream, and I probably was 

 too quick, for my line came home free. I did 

 not even prick the old gentleman he is very 



