50 AN ANGLER'S HOURS m 



will be hooked exactly in the same spot. 

 Out of this pool he catches two more fish, 

 one under three ounces (the limit of size 

 which he sets himself), and therefore re- 

 turned, the other about a quarter of a pound. 

 Then he gets up from his knees and makes 

 his way along the bank to the next pool, 

 well content with his first quarter of an 

 hour. 



It is wiser on the whole in this part of 

 the river to reserve one's energies for the 

 best bits of water, and not to attempt to 

 fish everywhere. Indiscriminate fishing 

 pays, perhaps, if the trout are really on the 

 feed, but if they are not it is sheer waste 

 of labour to fish the long shallows. By 

 keeping to the pools one catches more fish 

 in the end, and their average size is bigger. 

 Even in the pools, except after sunset, only 

 the sharp water or ripple at the head and 

 tail will yield much result ; but, given 

 favourable conditions, each pool should be 

 good for five or six rises, out of which one 

 may hook one or two fish according to one's 

 skill and luck. Sometimes it happens that 

 in one pool as many as four sizeable fish 

 will be brought to basket ; then for the next 



