HAL.—It is past four o’clock, and some dark, heavy clouds are come on,—the fly is off. It is almost the hour for the signal of the dressing bell; and there is nothing more to be done now till evening. But see! our host is come to examine our fish in the well, and to enquire about our sport; and, I dare say, will order some of our fish to be dressed for the table. HOST.—I hope, gentlemen, you have been amused? HAL.—Most highly, sir. As a proof of it, there are in the fish-well eighteen good trout,—and one not much short of 6lbs.; three above 4lbs., and four above 3lbs. in weight. I hope you will order that great fish for your dinner. HOST.—We will see. He is a fine fish, and fit for a present, even for a prince—and you shall take him to a prince. Here is a fish, and there another, of the two next sizes, which I am sure will cut red. Prepare them, fisherman. And, Halieus, you shall catch two or three perch, for another dish; I know there are some good ones below the piles of the wear; I saw them hunting small fish there yesterday morning. Some minnows, ho!—and the perch rods! HAL.—I am tired, sir, and would willingly avoid minnow fishing after such a morning’s sport. HOST.—Come, then, I will be a fisher for the table. I have one—and another, that will weigh nearly a pound apiece. Now, there is a cunning perch that has stolen my minnow; I know he is a large one. He has robbed me again and again; and if I fish on in this way, with the hook through the upper lip, will, I dare say, carry away all the minnows in the kettle. I shall put on a strong small hook, on a stout, though fine, gut, with slender wire round the top, and pass the hook through the back fin of the minnow, and try my sagacity against his. Lo! I have him!—and a very strong fish he is, and gone to the bottom; but even though the greatest perch in the river, he cannot bite the gut,—he will soon be tired and taken. He now comes up, and is landed. He must be above 3lbs.—a magnificent perch! Kill him and crimp him, fisherman; take our two trout, and the three perch, to the kitchen, and let them be dressed as usual. You shall have a good dish of fish, worthy of such determined anglers. But I see one of your party coming up by the side of the river, who seems tired and out of spirits. HAL.—It is Physicus, who has this day commenced his career as a fly fisher; and who, I dare say, has been as successful as the uninitiated generally are. I hope you have followed my advice, and been fortunate? PHYS.—I caught two trout in the rapid where you left me; but they were small, and the fisherman threw them in. Below the wear, in the quick stream, I caught two dace, and what astonished me very much, a perch, which you see here, and which I thought never took the fly. HAL.—O yes, sometimes; and particularly when it is below the surface: and what more?