WEEKS IN WORCESTERSHIRE 97 



made well befiind, then a momentary pause, then 

 with a turn of the wrist all from the wrist the 

 line went forward, followed by a clean pick-up, 

 body still all the while. Steady practice showed 

 no deterioration. This was a case worth cultiva- 

 ting, so the following day he went into waders, 

 with fly-rod, tapered line, tapered cast, dry fly, 

 and all complete. It was just the same. On 

 the Teme he handled the zo-ft. rod lovingly. 

 Gradually, more and more line, but never more 

 than he could control, went out ; the fly dropping 

 like snow-flake. The grayling he rose he lost 

 one must have been a pounder, which broke 

 loose near the net and for the great event he 

 was content to wait. No more bottom-fishing 

 for him, he said, when fly-fishing was available. 



Only once before have I seen a novice with a 

 fly-rod shape so well. That was in Natal, on the 

 Mooi. He was a young, Colonial-born farmer, 

 and, although his line did not fall so gracefully, 

 yet he quickly got home, and in two days he was, 

 unaided, playing and landing trout, one of them 

 the best of the season. The last time we met 

 was in South- West Africa, and you, John, were 

 just the same good fellow you always were. 

 Evidently you have kept up your fly-fishing, for 

 here in London, just as this book is going into 

 print, I have received a letter, written by you in 

 Natal about it. It is so interesting that perhaps 

 the reader will kindly let me leave the Teme for 

 a few moments, in order to make two or three 

 extracts. In your letter, John, you say: "I 



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