A PROBLEM FOR THE OPTICIAN 21 



upstream, at every bend I came upon a new group of 

 trout, which darted up stream and down in a great state 

 of agitation, long before I could come within casting 

 distance of them. After I had walked up three or four 

 of these groups, and could see that the character of the 

 stream for some distance ahead differed in no material wise 

 from that part under my elbow, I returned to my starting- 

 point and sat down on a stile to give the trout time to 

 settle. In less than half an hour dimples here and there 

 in the runs between the cress-beds a little way up en- 

 couraged me to try again. What a change ! Fish, that 

 half an hour before had scuttled desperately while I was 

 yet a long way off, took no notice of me now, went on 

 feeding gaily, and did not disdain my Olive Quill on those 

 occasions when it was put to them right. To cut a long 

 story short, I landed during the daytime twelve brace, 

 retaining two over the pound limit; and going out again 

 in the evening I landed other five brace, of which one was 

 over the pound, and was retained. 



Next day was similar in conditions, and I fished for a 

 couple of hours in the morning, catching five brace, of which 

 one was one and a quarter pounds, one a safe pound, and 

 the rest went back. All the while that the fish were 

 feeding they took no notice of me — comparatively speaking, 

 of course — until they were hooked, when they made a 

 fierce resistance. When they were not feeding they were 

 wild as hawks, and scuttled over the shallows in droves 

 while I was yet a great way off. Nothing remarkable in 

 all this, of course — nothing that is not within the experi- 

 ence of all anglers for trout. The experience, I admit, is 

 quite commonplace. It is only because of a train of 

 thought to which it gave rise that I mention it, and mention 

 it in detail. Were the trout so infatuated with their food 

 that they did not care about me during the rise, or was it 



