44 AN OPEN CREEL 



better of the two ; you have at any rate lived through 

 stirring times. 



Take the day of small troubles, and what does it 

 amount to ? To begin with, there is a mean sort of 

 wind which is neither frankly behind nor boldly before, 

 an underhand wind slinking round corners. You see a 

 trout rising under your own bank. You sit down 

 before him and begin. The first cast has not strength 

 enough, and the abominable breeze curls the fly back. 

 Into the second cast you put more force to counteract 

 the enemy, which, seeing your intention, stops sud- 

 denly; the fly falls with a "splosh," and the trout is 

 put down. 



The next trouble is when the wind gets behind you 

 and makes the fly catch in the rod-top at the forward 

 cast ; the crack it makes is in itself an exasperation, 

 and wiping grease off the fine gut point which has been 

 in contact with the running-line is a horrid process. 

 You fear all things : the point may be weakened by the 

 crack, it will be frayed by the wiping, the grease will 

 not come off, you must put on a new point. You do 

 so, and then two casts afterwards the wind plays the 

 same trick again. After this you get caught up in 

 herbage and have to disentangle the gut laboriously 

 from tough obstructions. It is frayed, and a third 

 point is required. Then you get caught up again. 

 This time you pull, first gently, then viciously. Some- 

 thing breaks, and, a little ashamed of yourself, you go 

 in contrition to look for the fly, which, of course, is 

 not to be found. A new point, new fly, and good 

 resolutions. But the point was not soaked enough, 

 and a few seconds later there is a crack in the air, and 



