ix FESTIVAL OF GREEN DRAKE 163 



spent in tempting him. Evidently he is 

 not for us, and we must try another. 



In the shallow ripple under our own 

 bank some twenty yards above us there is 

 a quiet rise which is probably due to a 

 trout, for in the evening they leave the 

 deep water for the shallow feeding-grounds. 

 This ripple has a character of its own ; it 

 is within the belt of weeds, and is formed 

 by a little mound of gravel just below a 

 drain that leaves the river on the right. 

 The fly alights on the water just opposite 

 the drain, hesitates for a moment at the 

 parting of the streams, and then, yielding to 

 the main current, hurries down on the 

 dancing wavelets. But not far, for a fish 

 rises just where the gravel begins to shelve 

 towards the deeper water. There is no 

 mistake about it this time, and almost before 

 we can realise that we have hooked a fish 

 he has bolted down -stream and we are 

 clambering over the fence. Fortunately 

 he seems well hooked, but he is very strong 

 and looks like running for a mile. This, 

 however, cannot be ; at any rate we cannot 

 run with him, for twenty yards below the 

 fence is a drain, and the bridge is well back 



