TROUT-FISHING IN GALICIA 155 



river, and, having noticed a number of small fish rising 

 to a fly resembling a blue-dun, I turned over the time 

 discoloured parchment leaves of my dear old fly-book until 

 I came to a bunch of small and beautifully tied " blue- 

 duns," one of which I selected and attached to the finest 

 drawn point I could find amongst my tackle. There 

 was just sufficient ripple on the water to lend a well- 

 thrown dry-fly a life-like appearance. My first cast, 

 however, was about as clumsily managed as possible, 

 but in spite of the fly having fallen all of a heap, it was 

 taken instantly by a plucky little four-ounce fish, which 

 jumped high out of the water when he felt the " steel," 

 and fought as gallantly as many a trout of twice his 

 weight which I have caught in English trout streams. 

 At length I had him safely in the landing-net, and a 

 brilliantly spotted little fellow he was. Elated with the 

 success of my first cast, I carefully " whipped " every foot 

 of water running between my starting-place and a belt 

 of alders growing about a quarter of a mile lower down 

 the reach. For some little time, however, I failed to rise 

 a fish of any kind, and was in the act of reeling in my 

 line, preparatory to looking for a fresh beat beyond the 

 alders, when the " swirl " of a heavy fish travelling in 

 the direction of my fly attracted my attention, and the 

 next moment the artificial " dun " was sucked beneath 

 the surface. It was quite unnecessary for me to strike, 

 as the fish had hooked himself hard and fast. Up and 

 down stream and across he rushed with all the gameness 

 of a Dee grilse. Suddenly, however, to my unspeakable 

 disgust, " bang " went the trace and at the loose end of 

 it what I honestly believed to be a good three -pound 

 trout. It's always the heaviest fish of the day that gets 



