Fly-Fifhing. 59 



fiftiing way ; how he had provided himfelf, at no 

 fmall facrifice of pocket-money, with a falmon-rod, 

 reel, line, &c. And as all indulgent parents feel 

 indifpofed on occafions of this kind to damp the 

 ardour of their ambitious fons, the one in queftion 

 had promifed the afpiring youth, that if he would 

 bring him a falmon caught by himfelf, with his 

 own rod, he would give him two {hillings a pound 

 for it, let it be what weight it may (fecretly fuf- 

 pe&ing, no doubt, that he might fafely offer ten 

 times the amount, as far as the probability went 

 of his being called on to pay it). 



Now it appears that the keen eye of the young 

 angler had detected the creature, whofe dead car- 

 cafe I had fo grievoufly flandered, taking in fome- 

 thing on the furface of the water he concluded to 

 be a fly ; and, haftening home for his falmon-rod, 

 he commenced throwing over the fame fpot with 

 the utmoft ardour and hope. The poor ftarve- 

 ling, feeing fomething move on the water that 

 looked like infecl: food, languidly opened his lank, 

 lantern-jaws, and was hooked in the twinkling of 

 an eye. 



Imagination, you are aware, good reader, will 

 go great lengths, and I doubt not that the happy 

 angler then imagined that the faint attempts of the 



