220 AN ANGLER'S HOURS xm 



much as you like, but I'm afraid you won't 

 catch much with the water so low." 



The fact that the brook has not been 

 found out has its advantages. Permission to 

 fish in a recognised trout-stream is not granted 

 thus easily and ungrudgingly. In the event, 

 the stock of fish in the water is not materially 

 diminished. The brook is visited perhaps 

 four times ; the first day the catch is nothing 

 at all, the next two days yield a brace of 

 fish each, and the last day (there has been 

 some rain in the interval), under favour of 

 Providence, results in four nice trout. But, 

 as John observes, there are plenty left, and 

 I take his word for it willingly, though it is 

 only about once in a season that you can 

 form any sort of estimate of how many trout 

 a Midland brook really does hold. On 

 some warm July evening, perhaps, they 

 may suddenly take it into their heads to 

 rise all together, and then in pools which 

 you have fished over and over again, and in 

 which you are ready to swear there is not a 

 single trout, you shall see five or six good 

 fish feeding steadily. But on other days 

 and evenings you shall not see a sign of fish ; 

 the brook seems absolutely lifeless except 



