r was crowded
with brave women and fair men, in gorgeous raiment; the hotels were
overflowing; and there were various kinds of music and entertainments
at all hours of day and night. But all this did not seem to affect the
fishing.

The landlord of the Konigin Elizabeth, who is also the Burgomaster and a
gentleman of varied accomplishments and no leisure, kindly furnished
me with a fishing license in the shape of a large pink card. There were
many rules printed upon it: "All fishes under nine inches must be gently
restored to the water. No instrument of capture must be used except
the angle in the hand. The card of legitimation must be produced and
exhibited at the polite request of any of the keepers of the river."
Thus duly authorised and instructed, I sallied forth to seek my pastime
according to the law.

The easiest way, in theory, was to take the afternoon train up the river
to one of the villages, and fish down a mile or two in the evening,
returning by the eight o'clock train. But in practice the habits of the
fish interfered seriously with the latter part of this plan.

On my first day I had spent several hours in the vain effort to catch
something better than small grayling. The best time for the trout was
just approaching, as the broad light faded from the stream; already they
were beginning to feed, when I looked up from the edge of a pool and saw
the train rattling down the valley below me. Under the circumstances the
only thing to do was to go on fishing. It was an even pool with steep
banks, and the water ran through it very straight and swift, some four
feet deep and thirty yards across. As the tail-fly reached the middle
of the water, a fine trout literally turned a somersault over it, but
without touching it. At the next cast he was ready, taking it with a
rush that carried him into the air with the fly in his mouth. He weighed
three-quarters of a pound. The next one was equally eager in rising
and sharp in playing, and the third might have been his twin sister
or brother. So, after casting for hours and taking nothing in the most
beautiful pools, I landed three trout from one unlikely place in fifteen
minutes. That was because the trout's supper-time had arrived. So had
mine. I walked over to the rambling old inn at Goisern, sought the cook
in the kitchen and persuaded her, in spite of the lateness of the
hour, to boil the largest of the fish for my supper, after which I rode
peacefully back to Isc