104 HUNTING FOR FISHING 



to be very happy. "What luck?" cried our 

 landlord with a great shout, for the old boy is 

 very deaf. " Luck ! " says he. " I've fished this 

 river all my life and never had such a time before. 

 Not a single fish have I got, though I have been 

 here for hours. I wish I hadna come." " Why, 

 look just above you," cried I ; " there 's a fine 

 fish rising, just a pretty cast from you." "Ay, 

 I know him," says he ; " that fish ain't a-goin' to 

 fool me. You have a go at him. But what 's 

 the use of throwing a fly over a fish like that, 

 with the sun a-shinin' on him and the water as 

 clear as gin ? You try him." 



Well, now, if this old boy couldn't catch a 

 trout in what one may call his native stream, why 

 should we strangers be disappointed ? " Ah ! " 

 said our landlord, " if you had but been here 

 yesterday they were rising all along the river, 

 great big fellows. I never saw anything like it, 

 and very likely it'll be the same to-morrow. 

 Come and have another go at 'em." " Thank 

 you," I said, " not to-morrow, but some other 

 time in the far distant future we may turn up 

 again precisely at i p.m., and you have that 

 chicken and peas, new potatoes and egg sauce all 

 ready, will you ? " " All right," said our landlord. 



