226 TROUT FISHING 



to be a day of fine gut, small flies, and exact science. 

 The trap set me down at the mill and drove away. 

 I proceeded to prepare for action. I had had the 

 forethought to put two casts a-soak in the damping 

 pouch. It is my custom to soak the points at the 

 waterside, adding so many and of such strength 

 to the main cast as occasion requires. My main 

 cast is quite a strong thing, ending in stoutish 

 undrawn gut, and to it I add four or five points 

 of lessening sizes, so that in the end I have a four- 

 yard cast tapering to 3x. F. M. Halford taught 

 me the merit of a long cast years ago, and now, 

 unless the wind is contrary, I hardly ever fish with 

 less than four yards. 



I put up the rod, threaded the line, attached a 

 cast, and then felt in my pockets for the gut -case. 

 It was not there. I was committed to a day's gray- 

 ling fishing with gut which would be somewhat 

 strong even for the Mayfly, and which would scarcely 

 go through the eye of a 00 fly at all. Then, by a 

 stroke of good fortune, I found two points coiled 

 in the corner of the pouch. How long they had 

 been there I knew not, but I soaked them and tied 

 them on, hoping for the best. Nothing much 

 happened for a while, but presently I caught a nice 

 grayling, and began to think out an article entitled 

 " Lucky Points," or something like that. Soon 

 after, however, I had the misfortune to find a good 



