CH. 1I.] A TEN-POUNDER ALL BUT CAUGHT. 25 
had only a fly-rod,)—no matter whether they saw 
me or not—they came at it as a hawk comes ata 
partridge and would not be denied. I put back 
again all the smaller ones, but, if my memory 
serves me, I kept two brace, of from about one to 
two and a half pounds. I was then told, after 
having been at it about half an hour, or less, that 
nothing but the fly was allowed, and of course left 
off at once. 
Even in that short time however, I only just 
failed to rob the water of (in all probability) its 
principal ornament. While passing to the river be- 
low the mill from the pool where I first made trial 
of my bait, I dropped it into a deep dark pool fed 
by a back-water which poured down into it with a 
powerful stream through a slate-lined water-course 
set at a very considerable angle, and then drew 
it slowly up this water-course, just to see how it 
would spin in the rapid current, never dreaming of 
@ fish. Suddenly, however, to my utter astonish- 
ment, out of the pool came after it with a rush, 
about ten feet up the water-course, an enormous 
brute, with a head like a bull. He got within an 
inch or two of the bait, when, either from seeing 
me so close to him, or from inability to stem the 
stream, he fell back, and of course I saw no more 
