152 AN ANGLER'S HOURS ix 



unchecked, and you can repeat the cast 

 several times. The first effort sends the 

 fly rather too far, and it is a good yard on 

 the wrong side of the trout. In calm water 

 the gut floating over his head would most 

 certainly put him down, but in this swift 

 glide perhaps it will not affect him. No, 

 it is all right ; he has just risen again. Now 

 the fly has fallen just where it should, about 

 a foot above him, and as it reaches him he 

 comes at it with a splash. But he has not 

 taken it. He was suspicious, and merely 

 tried to drown it. This is a common trick 

 of these large trout. Probably they are 

 animated by the zeal of the witch -finder : 

 if your witch swims she is a very monstrous 

 black witch ; if she sinks she is no witch, 

 it is true, but none the more is she any wife 

 for Caesar, now that suspicion has rested on 

 her. And so it is no doubt with the fish 

 and the May-fly. 



We shall not tempt him again for a 

 while, so let us stroll down-stream, picking 

 up a dace or two, and looking for another 

 trout. It is not yet really time for them 

 with this afternoon sun still so fierce. When 

 it has dropped a little, say after six o'clock, 



