TROUTING ON JESSUP'g RIVER. 509 



immediate and brilliant success, which brought back the 

 placid smile to his face, and he would now and then as 

 calmly brush away the distracting swarm of flies from his 

 face, as if they had been mere innocent motes. He had 

 only taken the one with his flies at the first instant of his 

 cast and afterward, not a single trout would rise to them. 

 But later that evening came a temporary triumph for Piscator. 

 The hole at the Falls was soon exhausted, and we moved on 

 down to glean the ripples. It was nearly sundown, and here 

 the pertinacious Piscator determined to try the flies again. 

 He cast with three, and instantly struck two half-pound 

 trout, which, after a spirited play, he safely landed. Never 

 did I see so proud a look of exulting triumph as that which 

 glowed upon his as he bade me "look there!" when he landed 

 them. 



" Very fine, Piscator ! a capital feat ! but I fear it was an 

 accident ! You will not get any more that way !" 



"We shall see, sir!" said he proudly, and commenced 

 whipping the water again, but to no avail, while I continued 

 throwing them out with great rapidity. 



I carefully abstained from watching him, for I had no 

 desire to spoil his evening sport by taunting him, to continue 

 his experiment. I soon observed him throwing out, the fish 

 with great spirit again. I merely shouted to him across the 

 stream " The angle-worm, once more, Piscator ?" 



"Yes !" with a laugh. 



As the sun went down, the black gnats began to make 

 themselves felt in their smarting and infinitesimal myriads, 

 and we forthwith beat a hasty retreat to the shantee. These 

 creatures, which are the most diabolical pests that ever 

 haunted the air and water-side, are, I think, identical with 

 the sand fly in Texas where it is the terror of all low, sandy, 

 bottom lands, and valleys below the sea range. It follows 

 the black fly, which is about half the size and a good deal the 

 shape of the common house fly. About an hour after its 



