TROUTING ON JESSUP’S RIVER. 509 
immediate and brilliant success, which brought back the 
placid smile to his face, and he would now and then as 
calmly brush away the distracting swarm of flies from his 
face, as if they had been mere innocent motes. He had 
only taken the one with his flies at the first instant of his 
cast—and afterward, not a single trout would rise to them. 
But later that evening came a temporary triumph for Piscator. 
The hole at the Falls was soon exhausted, and we moved on 
down to glean the ripples. It was nearly sundown, and here 
the pertinacious Piscator determined to try the flies again. 
He cast with three, and instantly struck two half-pound 
trout, which, after a spirited play, he safely landed. Never 
did I see so proud a look of exulting triumph as that which 
glowed upon his as he bade me “look there!” when he landed 
them. 
“Very fine, Piscator! a capital feat! but I fear it was an 
accident! You will not get any more that way!” 
“We shall see, sir!” said he proudly, and commenced 
whipping the water again, but to no avail, while I continued 
throwing them out with great rapidity. 
I carefully abstained from watching him, for I had no 
desire to spoil his evening sport by taunting him, to continue 
his experiment. I soon observed him throwing out the fish 
with great spirit again. I merely shouted to him across the 
stream—‘ The angle-worm, once more, Piscator ?” 
“Yes!” with a laugh. 
As the sun went down, the black gnats began to make 
themselves felt in their smarting and infinitesimal myriads, 
and we forthwith beat a hasty retreat to the shantee. These 
creatures, which are the most diabolical pests that ever 
haunted the air and water-side, are, J think, identical with 
the sand fly in Texas—where it is the terror of all low, sandy, 
bottom lands, and valleys below the sea range. It follows 
the black fly, which is about half the size and a good deal the 
shape of the common house fly. About an hour after its 
