Having arrived at the edge of the place where we usually fished, each
drew from a cleft in the rock a stout branch of a tree, around the end
of which was wound a bit of twine with a large hook attached to it.
This we unwound quickly, and after impaling a live grasshopper upon the
barbs of our respective hooks, dropped them into the water, and gazed
intently at the lines. Mr Russ, who was a great lover of angling, now
began to get excited, and made several violent pulls at the line, under
the impression that something had _bitten_. Suddenly his rod, stout as
it was, bent with the immense muscular force applied to it, and a small
goldeye, about three or four inches long, flashed like an electric spark
from the water, and fell with bursting force on the rocks behind, at the
very feet of a small Indian boy, who sat, nearly in a state of nature,
watching our movements from among the bushes. The little captive was of
a bright silvery colour, with a golden eye, and is an excellent fish for
breakfast. The truth of the proverb, "It never rains but it pours," was
soon verified by the immense number of goldeyes of every size, from one
foot to four inches, which we showered into the bushes behind us. Two
or three dozen were caught in a few minutes, and at last we began to get
quite exhausted; and Mr Russ proposed going up to the house for his new
fly-rod, by way of diversifying the sport, and rendering it more
scientific.

Down he came again in a few minutes, with a splendidly varnished,
extremely slim rod, with an invisible line and an aerial fly. This
instrument was soon put up; and Mr Russ, letting out six fathoms of
line, stood erect, and making a splendid heave, caught the Indian boy by
the hair! This was an embarrassing commencement; but being an easy,
good-natured man, he only frowned the boy out of countenance, and
shortened his line. The next cast was more successful; the line swept
gracefully through the air, and fell in a series of elegant circles
within a few feet of the rock on which he stood. Goldeyes, however, are
not particular; and ere he could draw the line straight, a very large
one darted at the fly, and swallowed it. The rod bent into a beautiful
oval as Mr Russ made a futile attempt to whip the fish over his head,
according to custom, and the line straightened with fearful rigidity as
the fish began to pull for its life. The fisher became energetic, and
the fish impatient, but there was no prospec