134 THE TROUT ARE RISING 



one of the best, but the way he handled it sent it 

 up in value at once. True, he was standing on a 

 high bank it was on the Tamar but what a 

 line he threw, and with apparently so little effort ! 

 Clearly, he was a masterhand. Moreover, he had 

 perfect control of the very long line he was getting 

 out, and when a trout rose to the fly, as one soon 

 did, it was that trout's last rise. After that he 

 soon caught another. No, he would not keep the 

 trout, thank you : those were for the guests who 

 had been given a day's fishing. I was much 

 impressed both by his courtesy and his skill, and 

 was grateful for what really amounted to a useful 

 lesson in fishing. For that keeper taught me, 

 amongst other things, what shooting line was. I 

 had a notion of it before, but he showed me 

 what you could really do with it. Afterwards on 

 the Teme my friend the Major supplemented 

 the teaching by showing me how shooting the 

 line is assisted by lowering the point of the rod 

 at the right moment. 



A friend of mine once had an amusing en- 

 counter with a water-bailiff. He was but a 

 novice then. It was in the morning, and he was 

 just about to enter the water, when a benevolent- 

 looking gentleman suddenly appeared from no- 

 where, and greeted him kindly. They talked 

 about many things, and my friend wondered who 

 the distinguished-looking, nicely-spoken stranger 

 might be. The newcomer said it was better to 

 start grayling fishing, those days, at ten o'clock 

 instead of an hour later. Thanking him heartily, 



