The Big Trout. 169 



"Yes, killed a brace of nice fish." 

 " Very odd ; 1 can't get a rise. What fly 

 are you using ? " 



" A small black gnat." 



" Very strange, so am I ; but I'll persevere." 

 And away he went, and as soon as he was 

 out of sight, on went the worm again. 



I never was very fond of worm-fishing, but 

 I had one stream where I never could catch 

 fish in any other way, except when the May- 

 fly was on ; in fact, I never saw them rise to a 

 fly of any other kind. The first trout I ever 

 caught was with a worm. I was looking over 

 a bridge on a by-road on an April morning; 

 the stream was very shallow, but underneath 

 the bridge, and a little way beyond, it was. some 

 four feet deep, and in this hole I saw sailing 

 about very quietly a fine trout. He was deep 

 down in the water, and I did not look long ; 

 but away I went home, and got my rod and 

 some worms, which I happened to have ready 

 for perch. It took me about two hours before 

 I got back again, but there was the fish still ; 

 in my anxiety to be at him, I had put my rod 

 together and baited the hook on my way, and 

 it was not long before he was well hooked, and 



