THE FLY 59 



had every chance of being fulfilled had it been based on 

 reason. Probably he would have seen to its fulfilment, 

 no matter what its basis, had we been alone in the boat 

 together. It was, however, entirely falsified by the 

 result ; but that John's belief in the superior efficacy of 

 the flies the fish were "accustomed to" was shaken in 

 the least I had no ground for hope ; his mind was ob- 

 viously much less plastic than that of the ancient High- 

 lander already mentioned. 



During a brief interval of leisure once spent on a 

 little loch which would be one of the most prolific 

 salmon and sea-trout waters in Scotland were the short 

 river of easy ascent by which it communicates with the 

 sea less cruelly harried by the net, I had ample reason 

 to suspect the justice of our faith in the "peculiar fly." 

 On entering the smoking-room of the hotel on the 

 evening of my arrival, I found it occupied by two 

 gentlemen whose employment indicated that they, too, 

 were devoted followers of Walton. The table at which 

 they sat was littered with fishing material of all kinds, 

 and in front of each lay open an enormous fly-book, 

 large as a family Bible, and filled to overflowing with 

 all sorts and conditions of artificial flies. They were 

 obviously engaged preparing for the morrow, and were 

 as earnest in their occupation as if life and death hung 



