CHAP. VI.] THE SECOND DAY. 247 



I twirl and lap on my dubbing ; thus I work it up towards the 

 head ; thus I part my wings ; thus I nip mj' superfluous dubbing 

 from my silk ; thus fasten ; thus trim and adjust my fly. And 

 there's a fly made ; and now how do you like it .■' 



Viator. In earnest, admirably well ; and it perfectly re- 

 sembles a fly : but we about London make the bodies of our flies 

 both much bigger and longer, so long as even almost to the 

 very beard of the hook. 



PiSCATOR. I know it very well, and had one of those flies 

 given me by an honest gentleman, who came with my father Wal- 

 ton to give me a visit ; M'hich, to tell you the truth, I hung in my 

 parlour window to laugh at : but, Sir, you know the proverb, 

 " They who go to Rome, must do as they at Rome do ; " and 

 believe me, you must here make your flies after this fashion, or 

 you will take no fish. Come, I will look you out a line, and you 

 shall put it on, and try it. There, Sir, now I think you are fitted ; 

 and now beyond the farther end of the walk you shall begin : I 

 see, at that bend of the water above, the air crisps the water a 

 little : knit your line first here, and then go up thither, and see 

 what you can do. 



Viator. Did you see that. Sir ? 



PiSCATOR. Yes, I saw the fish : and he saw you too, which 

 made him turn short. You must fish further off, if you intend 

 to have any sport here ; this is no New River, let me tell you. 

 That was a good Trout, believe me : did you touch him ? 



Viator.- No, I would I had, we would not have parted so. 

 Look you, there was another : this is an excellent fly. 



PiSCATOR. That fly I am sure would kill fish, if the day were 

 right : but they only chew at it, I see, and will not take it. 

 Come, Sir, let us return back to the fishing-house : this still 

 water, I see, will not do our business to-day : you shall now, if 

 you please, make a fly yourself, and try what you can do in the 

 streams with that ; and I know a Trout taken with a fly of 

 your own making will please you better than twenty with one of 

 mine. Give me that bag again, sirrah : look you. Sir, there is a 

 liook, towght, silk, and a feather for the wings : be doing with 

 those, and I will look you out a dubbing that I think will do. 



Viator. This is a very little hook. 



PiSCATOR. That may serve to inform you, that it is for a very 

 little fly, and you must make your wings accordingly ; for as the 

 case stands, it must be a little fly, and a very little one too, that 

 must do your business. Well said ! believe me, you shift your 



