246 AN ANGLER'S HOURS xiv 



enough to cause his hurried departure. For 

 this I am myself probably to blame. Two 

 years ago I actually hooked him with a dry 

 fly, a Wickham, at which he rose with the 

 readiness of any troutling. How he dis- 

 posed of the fly, and the yards of line of 

 which he robbed me, I know not, but the 

 incident is probably fresh in his memory. 

 About fifty yards above him, a narrow islet, 

 running down -stream from the bridge, 

 divides the river into two channels. There 

 are usually several trout round the point of 

 this islet, and sometimes one may be caught 

 here. 



A year or so since there was a nice fish 

 named Robert who lay always on the strip 

 of golden sand between the two streams. 

 He was much sought after by the fraternity 

 because he was so plain to be seen, but he 

 never rose at anything. On a day a fisher- 

 man angled for him indignantly for two 

 hours, and in his determination to succeed 

 was perhaps over - energetic, for he lost 

 several flies in the bush that grows at the 

 islet's tip. Finally, as his fifth fly took fast 

 hold of a twig, he lost patience ; taking off 

 shoes and stockings, he waded out to recover 



