APRIL, 1899. 



XXXI. McNAB GOES TO CHURCH THE PARSON'S PRETTY 



DAUGHTER. JONES'S EXPENSIVE DAY'S ANGLING 



WHEN TRESPASSING. 



THE legal season for trout angling opened on the 1st 

 February, but in North Lincolnshire it might with 

 advantage be postponed until the ist April, as the fish, 

 so early in the year, particularly those which run any size, are 

 lank and thin and correspondingly weak and deficient in their 

 well-known fighting qualities. The earliest stream is the Bain, 

 and on Easter Monday last a well-known Grimbarian returned 

 with 6i brace in his creel, the killing flies having been the 

 "March brown" and "red spinner" the stretch of water 

 running between the mill and Biscathorpe was responsible for 

 yielding this very nice basket of fish, which averaged about ilb. 

 On the previous Saturday the water was too discoloured for 

 fly fishing, and ii brace only represented the catch of the 

 same angler and a friend who accompanied him. The latter 

 gentleman, a few days ago, returned from the Little Coates 

 stream with 4! brace of nice sizeable trout. Mr. Hopper has 

 only been out once since the opening of the season, on the igt\\ 

 April, and for the first hour and a half, never moved a fish. 

 The wind was nearly due west a point of south in it but it blew 

 very strongly and it was difficult to cast the flies on the water 

 with any accuracy. Afterwards the wind moderated some- 

 what, and the sun also coming out, the weather became more 

 genial, and, when Mr. Hopper put his rod in his case, at 

 twenty past four, he had landed seven trout the largest 

 weighing i Ib. looz the next two largest just upon lib. each 

 and one fib. and the three others in good condition but smaller. 

 The big fellow was consigned to a spiritual quarter, and the four 

 next largest in size went to invalids, who would doubtless be 

 able to negotiate such tender morsels. Mr. Hopper had a six 

 miles trudge home which, needless to say, he mightily enjoyed. 



