in MAY-DAY ON THE EXE 37 



and sometimes they are so close that the bank 

 of the road is also the bank of the river. 

 Here our traveller can look down and see 

 every pebble on the bottom of the stream, 

 so clear is the water. But look as he may 

 he cannot see what he is chiefly anxious to 

 see fish. The trout of a mountain stream 

 to the eye accustomed to pavements are 

 practically invisible, except in the deep still 

 pools. On a chalk stream, with a little 

 practice and with the sun at a proper angle, 

 you can see every movement of the fish you 

 are stalking ; but in the mountain stream 

 you have to fish in the hope that he is 

 there. In the deep still pools, however, it 

 is generally possible to see two or three 

 elderly fish swimming about near the surface 

 on the look-out for flies. 



An elderly fish in the Exe is not a giant 

 like his cousin of the Itchen. He attains 

 his half-pound in weight and is proud of 

 it, and the fisherman who catches him is 

 proud too, for the Exe half-pounder com- 

 pels respect both by reason of his scarcity 

 and of his fighting powers. Never shall I 

 forget the one that bolted down-stream with 

 me as soon as he was hooked, forcing me 



