176 THE TROUT ARE RISING 



Prominent among lady anglers is Mrs. R. B. 

 Marston, which is very fitting considering her 

 husband's position in the fishing world. Indeed 

 he says she is the keenest fisher he has ever met 

 and he must have met quite a few ! Mrs. Marston 

 delights in dry-fly fishing, watching for rises in 

 the approved manner and observing what Mrs. 

 Battle called "the rigour of the game." "The 

 weather does not matter to her, and the difficulty 

 is to get her away from the water when she is out 

 with rod and line." Her daughters are anglers 

 too. 



Some women throw a very pretty fly. I 

 watched a lady fishing on Torquay reservoir last 

 year, and admired the way in which she handled 

 a three-quarter pound trout. I admired also the 

 ease with which she cast. She did it equally well, 

 it seemed to me, with either hand. Ambi- 

 dexterity in fishing is not only admirable, but also 

 of physical benefit ; obviously, the muscles get 

 relief. 



Once when wet-fly fishing in Natal I essayed 

 seriously to throw with the left hand. Being 

 naturally right-handed, I found my left awkward, 

 but I got along pretty well and made fair practice. 

 But the thing was spoilt by the periodical convic- 

 tion that at certain spots I was sure to get a good 

 rise and then almost unconsciously back went 

 the rod to the right hand ! In England, last 

 year, I sometimes threw with the left hand, but I 

 found myself afflicted with the same tendency to 

 trust only the right hand in times of need. As a 



