" A trout does not always get the fly when he attempts to; it 

 may be lying against the leader, making it impossible for him to 

 get it in his mouth ; you may strike too quickly, taking it out of 

 reach ; the strike may be too hard, tearing his mouth. More trout 

 by far are pricked than hooked. Practice only can teach you 

 when to strike ; you see a faint gleam under the surface, when 

 you instinctively twitch, to find you have hooked a beauty. Few 

 fishermen can separate force from quickness of motion. Never 

 use your arm in making the strike, only your wrist ; then will the 

 difficulty be overcome."— T. S. Up de Graff, M.D. 



"Innocent stranger! Thou who readest these lines! perhaps 

 you never caught a trout. If so, thou knowest not for what life 

 was originally intended. Thou art a vain, insignificant mortal ! 

 pursuing shadows ! Ambition lures thee, fame dazzles, wealth 

 leads thee on, panting! Thou art chasing spectres, goblins that 

 satisfy not. If thou hast not caught a trout, this world is to thee, 

 as yet, a blank, existence is a dream. Go and weep." — Thaddens 

 Norris. 



"On one occasion the writer was awakened at a very early 

 hour, when, lo! Mr. Webster, who happened to be in a par- 

 ticularly playful mood, was seen going through the graceful mo- 

 tions of an angler throwing a fly and striking a trout, and then, 

 without a word, disappeared. As a matter of course, that day 

 was given to fishing."— Lawman's Life of Webster. 



