ad told me of a certain upper reach of quiet water where,
during the Mayfly carnival a fortnight before, Mr. Francis Francis had
astonished the natives. As a rule the fishing is not good until the
trout have got well over their Mayfly debauch, but I determined to work
hard, nevertheless, if haply I might experience that traditional
exception by which the rule is proven. The fish in this part, which
was in truth practically a millhead, seemed to be feeding close to the
bank. The first cast secured something--but what was very uncertain.
A trout would not wobble and tug in that sullen, carthorse manner. Lo!
it was a pickerel. A second time, lo! it was a pickerel. The next
fish, however, was a trout--a big and somewhat lazy fellow, who allowed
me to bring him to the top of the water, and to wait (with him well in
hand, however) to see what his next movement would be. As he appeared
to be reticent about troubling me with an orthodox tussle, I gave him
no further grace, but winched him in and netted him out. His colours
faded at once, and the dirty grey mottlings which broke out upon his
sides proclaimed him a degenerate. One other big fellow--they were
each 2 1/2 lb.--went to keep him company, and then, the sun being now
high in heaven, I returned to breakfast.

About three o'clock in the afternoon it was cloudy, and a gentle,
melancholy, sighing west wind wafted to my assistance in the lower
meadows, where the stream is small and typical of perpetual motion.
The keeper and his boy strolled along towards five o'clock, and the
game was by this time so merry that they never left me so long as I
could see to throw a fly. Smooth water or broken, deep or shallow,
alike gave up its increase. The fish were not particular as to the
fly, with the one exception of the black gnat, which they would not as
much as look at. Replace it with a governor or coachman, and they came
with a heartfelt eagerness most charming to behold. As day declined
they rose short, and when the vapours began to distil from the meadows
they retired from business.

The keeper volunteered a statement. He said he would not care to carry
the basket half a dozen miles; whereupon I offered a suggestion.
Acting upon this, he turned the spoil out upon the buttercups. There
were thirty trout, averaging 3/4 lb. each, and not reckoning the
invalid, which came out on the top of the heap, so mottled and dull
that it bore no resemblance to its beautiful asso