EGGS FOR GRANDMOTHERS 49 



momentarily lowered, but recovered as rapidly as it 

 was lowered. Now he rests, and you may be glad of 

 the temporary relief, but you should not, if it can be 

 avoided, allow the rest to degenerate into a sulk. 

 Perhaps, however, the minutes wear on and he 

 declines to move, the only sign of life being a 

 'jigging' at the line as he turns his head from side to 

 side, either trying to shake the fly loose or rubbing it 

 against some rock at the bottom, and something 

 must be done to make him move. Throw a stone 

 or two in above him, but beware lest you hit the line. 

 Some desperate individuals have been known to put 

 their bunch of keys round the line and let it down on 

 his nose ; but they are of the class who ' burn their 

 boats and destroy their bridges.' If the fish is lost 

 after all, the despatch box and cigar cabinet must 

 visit the locksmith before the contents are available, 

 or the portmanteaus and bags must make their next 

 journey open. Personally, I have shrunk from such a 

 risky proceeding, but if the fish has remained stolid in 

 spite of my trying him at different angles, and from 

 down-stream below him, I have often found it effective 

 to let a few inches of the line out of the reel below the 

 hand and suddenly let it go, thus giving a little momen- 

 tary slack as it runs through the rings and a jerk as the 

 rod tightens it again. Another dodge is a smart rap 



