Fly-Fifliing. 127 



believe ! My firm opinion is, in fpite of what the 

 keeper has juft allured me, there are no fifh in the 

 river. 



Clericus. Oh ! I can re&ify that point to your 

 entire fatisfac~tion, if you will ftep on more and 

 look into my bafket. 



Sable Gentleman. You don't mean to tell me 

 you have caught thofe fifh with a fly this morn- 

 ing? 



Clericus. Ay, and fome more too, I truft, ere 

 this, had I not been delayed by two unlucky acci- 

 dents I met with ! 



Sable Gentleman. Well, that is moft extraordi- 

 nary ! Here have I been fifhing fmce nine this 

 morning without ceffation, and I verily believe, 

 not a fmgle trout has even looked at my flies, to 

 fay nothing of fwallowing them. 



Clericus. Will you permit me to look at your 

 flies ? Not unlikely ones either ; though the blue 

 is a trifle too dark. I don't know that I can fur- 

 nifh you with better, but you are welcome to try 

 any you prefer in my book. If I may be fo bold 

 when I faw you in the middle of the ftream, I 

 felt fure your fport could not have been much. 

 You fhould keep away as much as poflible from 

 the water, which is rather low, and as clear as 



