AN ADVENTURE. 345 
fair way to repeat the performance, I moved forty yards 
lower down toward the tail of the stream, where, from the 
placid appearance of the surface, I had little doubt I could 
wade. With the assistance of the pole of my landing-net, 
I succeeded in staggering out to a shoal bank of gravel, 
about ten yards from the brink, and although quite up to 
the knee, established a firm footing; and each cast rose or 
hooked a fish. The water appeared to be alive with trout; 
first one would spring several feet clear of the water with 
a vim and energy positively speaking of determination; 
another would only barely come to the surface, leaving no 
other indication of his presence than a miniature whirlpool; 
while a third would roll over like a grampus, displaying a 
good view of his golden, strongly proportioned, handsome 
side, raising the demon of covetousness in my breast. I 
have frequently sought for a satisfactory reason for the 
different degrees of ardor which fish exhibit in taking the 
fly. J am inclined to believe that much is to be attributed 
to caprice, and not hunger, for it is very rare to see a heavy 
fish entirely disengage himself from the water when about 
to seize the cunningly-devised imitation. 
Several fine fish had fallen to my prowess, and step by 
step, with cautious care, I advanced down the river, till I 
had almost got within casting distance of the bottom of 
the pool, where the stream was contracted previous to 
forming another rapid. 
In taking my last throw, I was so near the broken wa- 
ter that my trail-fly was without doubt in it, when, without 
seeing a fish, I felt a smart pluck at my line. On elevating 
the top of my rod,I found that a small chub had taken 
my hook. Reeling up to get rid of the incumbrance, and 
fetching him to the surface, what was my surprise to see an 
immense trout dash at the unfortunate captive, and in the 
twinkling of an eye I had my reel going at telegraph speed. 
15* 
