Fly-Fifhing. 69 



all fuch hints, delights to throw the trout he hooks 

 at once out of the water, without condefcending 

 to play them an inftant. But then he is not a 

 real brother of the craft, though a fly-fifher, for he 

 invariably ufes the natural infec~h 



It is, I believe, in u Oliver Twift," we have 

 the very amufmg hiftory of the "Artful Dodger," 

 that nice young gentleman, whofe pleafure and 

 pride it was to prig (vulgarly fpeaking) from the 

 pockets of the public, all forts of valuables, from 

 a fovereign to a fnuff-box. Should thefe pages 

 meet the eye of my friend, he will not be offended 

 (I know) at being reminded of his old "foubriquet." 

 A veritable "Artful Dodger" was he to the inno- 

 cent, unfufpe&ing trout ! It was a fight worth 

 feeing to watch him ftealing along the water-fide, 

 on the look out for a " rife ; " and then dropping 

 the fluttering bait within fight of the expectant 

 fifli. I almoft fancy I hear his merry laugh now, 

 (though I am fcribbling at midnight, far away 

 from my favourite haunts,) when he had fuc- 

 ceeded not only in deluding another victim, but 

 in "dragging him out of the wet," (as he termed 

 it,) immediately he was hooked. It was labour 

 thrown away to allure him that he loft more fifh 

 this way than he landed ; tearing the hook from 



