FLY FISHING FOR TROUT AND GRAYLING. 273 
down stream, never rising from my knees, till I brought him 
within reach of my boy, who was ambushed with the landing 
net close above the bridge. No. 1 safely basketed, I resumed 
my former position, and waited ten minutes before essaying 
another cast, which proved immediately fatal to No. 2. In 
brief, I continued these tactics till I had landed six brace o 
good fish from that one spot, and then sauntered leisurely to- 
wards my inn, intending to have my fish weighed at Dobson’s 
by the way. 
I have already mentioned this name in the baldest fashion, 
and ought to explain that the worthy watchmaker who bore it was 
in those days a sort of factotum to the ‘D.A.C.’ An angler 
himself, he well knew what part of the stream would promise 
the best sport on a given day, and what fly was likely to be strong 
on the water. Then he was purveyor-general of tackle, his 
assistants tying not merely attractive but strongly built flies, 
which might be trusted with the heaviest fish. Lastly, he kept 
the register of captures, now left to the head keeper, and it was 
the common practice after a day’s fishing to take one’s basket 
to his shop to be weighed. My boy Keddey hurried on thither 
before me, proud of his burthen, but on overtaking him at the 
door I found him sobbing bitterly. He expounded his grief 
in these broad words: The gentlemen w// say yo’ nobbled 
‘em, and ah know yo’ didn’t.’ The fact was that there were - 
six rods on the water that day, and my fish weighed 18 lbs. as 
against 14 lbs. to the joint credit of the rest. A novice, the 
‘net proceeds’ of whose day had been zz/, started between joke 
and earnest the notion that I must assuredly have been plying 
my landing net in the spring-ditches. Hence my poor boy’s 
sorrows. How well I remember the jovial club dinner of that 
evening! I had much 4s when the tale of my success was 
told. But in truth there was little to brag of ; anyone might 
have done the same who understood fishing ‘ fine and far off,’ 
and spared no pains to keep out of sight. 
The question of fishing up or down stream is closely con- 
nected with this part of my subject. There is now so general a 
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