EQUIPMENT FOR SOUTH AFRICA 223 



to see. In any case, there is not much to 

 remember gratefully about the capture of small 

 trout with an anchor for a hook, a cable for a 

 line, a bowsprit for a rod. 



Keeping out of sight and using fairly fine gut 

 may be condensed into " fish fine and far off." 

 This may not be generally approved. Some 

 anglers prefer not to risk getting broken on fine 

 tackle. Therefore they adopt, say, 2X gut. Again, 

 some fly-fishermen do not like fishing far off, 

 and swear by a short line ; their argument being 

 that, once you have risen your fish, you stand a 

 very much better chance of a successful strike 

 than with a long line. The creed of those who 

 will not have very fine gut, and who prefer a 

 short line, was translated by a master angler and 

 writer as : " Fish with gut as thick as you dare, 

 and fish as near as you can." But try these 

 things for yourself. Make your own experi- 

 ments. Learn. You will sooner or later teach 

 yourself; or rather Experience will be your 

 teacher. Writing according to my own experience 

 and especially my own enjoyment, for trout I still 

 extol the adage, "Fish fine and far off" though 

 I am not ignorant of the risks, difficulties, and 

 even disasters that may come by reason of a long 

 line. 



All gut should be soaked beforehand. With 

 fine gut, especially, the cast must be thoroughly 

 soaked beforehand. Soak it for a quarter of an 

 hour before use. Put the cast in a saucer con- 

 taining sufficient lukewarm water. A little 



