Fly-Fifhing. 79 



friend in the " macintojh " had to fubmit to ? or 

 becaufe old Time had ftripped us of fome years of 

 our allotted fpan j ay, and ftripped thee, dear 

 Pifcator, of the fire of thy youthful vivacity ; I 

 know not. 



However, here we are, jogging on through life 

 with the fame fondnefs for a day's fly-fifhing as 

 ever. Still to ramble on as of old through the 

 green meadows, and hear with undiminimed plea- 

 fure the fame mufic in the diftant waterfall, and 

 watch with unabated intereft our old favourites 

 that fifti, like ourfelves, though with different 

 tackle the fedate-looking, folitary heron or the 

 bright halcyon, glancing for a moment in the fun- 

 beams, and then gone, like an arrow, from the 

 fight or the ever-reftlefs water-ouzel,* with that 

 peculiar pertnefs he invariably looks up at you 

 with, as if afking you what bufinefs you had to 

 obtrude yourfelf upon the privacy of his haunts ? 



* How true to nature are the following lines of Pro- 

 feflbr Wilfon : 



" In the ofier bank the ouzel fitting 



Hath heard her fteps, and away is flitting 

 From ftone to ftone, as fhe glides along, 

 Then finks in the ftream with a broken fong." 



