A PECK OF TROUBLES 229 



and falls nearly two yards wide of the mark, the 

 cast lying in an irritating loop. 



Line is recovered and another effort is made. 

 This is frustrated by a sudden jar at the rod -top 

 at the third false cast, the fly having come into 

 violent contact with the rod during its forward 

 progress. It has to be disentangled, and it is found 

 that the gut-point is twisted several times round the 

 top. It must be carefully straightened and wiped 

 with the handkerchief to get rid of any grease that 

 may have got on to it from contact with the line 

 before the attack can be resumed. 



The next cast falls wide of the trout on the other 

 side, and after that there is an ominous crack in 

 the air behind — the fly is whipped off. A new fly 

 does not take long to put on, and soon the rod is 

 at work again. This time both aim and distance 

 are correct, and the fly falls at the right place, but — 

 it falls heavily like a small brick, and the trout is 

 put down for the morning. Over the next rising 

 fish discovered a similar set of incidents occurs, 

 and when at last all difficulties of approach are 

 overcome, and a third trout is fairly risen, the 

 hooking of it is found to be impossible because the 

 reel line has begun to sink. 



These events of a dry-fly morning, repeated with 

 variations through all the hours of it, are related not 



