ARE TROUT CUNNING? 141 



hearty. Although not so plump as it 

 would be in June, the April fish is some- 

 times brighter of aspect than the summer 

 fish ; and it is mainly by the colour that 

 anglers judge of a trout's condition. If 

 the hues are iridescent and there is no 

 white fringe on any fin, they say the 

 trout is perfect. 



Well, just such a trout was the one 

 which the lady caught that morning. Of 

 course, I could not believe that it was 

 really a better fish than the three-pounder 

 which I hoped to see her playing in the 

 second or third day of the Mayfly week. 

 Perhaps the fine appearance which trout 

 often present early in spring is due to 

 the state of the stream. Besides being 

 cold, the water then is full and fresh. 

 Spring is the most vitahsing of the 

 seasons. At any rate, in the stimulating 

 sunlit coolness of noon the lady's expres- 

 sion, as I lifted the trout from the water 

 to the grass, was even rosier than it 

 would be when she graced the ballrooms 

 of midsummer. 



