138 BY IIOOK AND BY CROOK. 



It was real butclier-boy work, as the sine qud non 

 was to hit the rushes hard, so that the fly rebounded 

 and fell quickly into the water — which was precisely 

 what was happening to the real insects, for as soon as 

 they struck the rushes the force of the wind kept them 

 there, rendering wing-motion impossible, with the result 

 that they gradually but surely fell. 



This was indeed fly-fishing made easy and an instance 

 when the ability to cast a long line came in useful ; 

 but, still, as the saying goes, " there is no rose without a 

 thorn,'' only in our case the thorn was represented by 

 a high shaggy thorn hedge, which, as is the way with 

 such obstacles, elected to grow exactly where it could 

 afford much annoyance to anglers, namely within a 

 few yards of their backs, and not being content with 

 the nuisance it itself provided, graciously condescended 

 to form a species of hat-peg for all kinds of vegetable 

 growth, whose sole aim and ambition in life were con- 

 centrated in attempts to reach the sky. 



Here was a natural web, formidable as any made by 

 spider for fly, and although the wild roses and convol- 

 vuli may, with bowing heads and dulcet tones, have 

 invited the duns to come into their parlour, the hospi- 

 tality was not accepted, although, perhaps, it might have 

 been had they not been lifted quickly and perpendicu- 

 larly from the water and returned without delay. 



As before mentioned, there was little or no stream 

 at this part of the river, and the fish as soon as hooked 

 sought safety and assistance from the weed growing on 

 the bottom, so we had to supply a stream of our own 



