xni THE MIDLAND BROOK 229 



He must give the weir-pool a rest ; though, 

 if he returns to it presently, it is quite likely 

 that it may yield him another fish. The 

 little backwater, which winds for some 

 hundred yards of ripple and pool before it 

 joins the main brook, seems to him the most 

 likely place, so he determines to fish it next. 

 It is a tiny stream, not more than a yard 

 wide in most parts, though the pools at the 

 bends are all of a fair depth. It is overhung 

 with trees and bushes, and is altogether most 

 difficult to approach. Moreover, the water 

 is much clearer than that of the main brook, 

 so clear in fact that it would be worse than 

 useless to fish it with a worm. He must try 

 and throw a fly on such bits of it as he can 

 get at. Accordingly he takes off" his worm- 

 trace and replaces it by a short fly-cast on 

 which is a large March brown. Then he 

 takes a circuitous route through the meadow 

 to the point where the two streams meet. 

 There is generally a trout here, so as he 

 approaches the bank he finds it expedient to 

 go on three legs, as Charles Kingsley phrases 

 it, until he is within about two yards of 

 the water. Then, crouching as low as he can, 

 he endeavours to flick his fly between two 



