VI DRY-FLY MEDITATIONS & *> *> ^ 



i. THE DAY OF RECKONING 



APRIL is almost upon us, and it is time to prepare 

 for the beginning. I say this without prejudice 

 to the fact that it was time six weeks or more ago. 

 There are methodical anglers who seized it then by 

 the forelock, but these words are not intended for 

 them. They are addressed to the weaker brethren 

 those who let " I dare not " wait upon " I will "; those 

 who hold that " Sufficient unto the day is the evil 

 thereof" ; those who, like myself, have skeletons in their 

 tackle cupboards. In the words of the song, " Let us 

 all be unhappy together," for now is our day of reckon- 

 ing. There is no doubt that the methodical ones have 

 the better of us ; we do not often admit it, because 

 your man of method is a vexatious being at times, and 

 is curious about many matters of trifling importance, 

 such as punctuality for dinner and the disposition of 

 effects in the sitting-room which you share with him 

 at the fishing inn. He has been known to remove 

 your reel, with an expression of dumb suffering, from 

 the breakfast-table to the mantelpiece ; he also has 

 prejudices about boots and slippers, and on arrival he 

 always spends in unpacking a valuable half-hour which 

 5 65 



