126 TROUT FISHING 



life that he had never had any time to 

 fish, and that was his first day with the 

 rod. If he did not have a trout pretty 

 early in the afternoon, I was to lead him 

 to the ponds, and see that he got one 



there. "And, mind you," B added, 



"it is to be a good fish — big enough to 



make Mr. T want to have it set up, 



to be an heirloom in his family for 

 ever." 



In due time, according to these instruc- 

 tions, I led Mr. T to the ponds ; and, 



arrived there, asked to see his flies. The 

 end one had a peculiar dark wing and a 

 body of claret colour : once seen, it could 

 be easily recognised on occasion. The 

 hooks were somewhat large for the pur- 

 pose which B had commanded me to 



see accomplished ; but they might as well, 

 I thought, be given a trial. If they failed, 

 a fresh set could be readily fitted up. On 

 each of the three I put a worm ; then I 

 cast well out tawards the middle of the 



pond, handed the rod to Mr. T , and 



pleaded with him to raise it smartly, but 



