CHAPTER XII 

 THE SALMON AND THE KODAK 



WE had waited with exemplary patience for the drop- 

 ping of the water. There had been a fairly heavy flood 

 during the last week in February, but there would be 

 no trouble with floating ice ; that, at least, was a com- 

 fort when one remembered the cruel sufferings from 

 exposure of the previous year. The Rowan Tree Pool 

 is, in the early part of the spring season, a sure find for 

 a fish if you can but catch it in the humour. The 

 humour, however, does not last long, and you require 

 to know that pool with the intimacy of personal ex- 

 perience to hit it at the right time ; you have to study 

 its countenance, and then, sooner or later, the after- 

 noon will arrive when you say " Thank the stars ; she 

 will be in order to-morrow." This year the to-morrow 

 when it did dawn admirably suited the purpose of 

 two friends of mine who were in temporary possession 

 of the Rowan Pool. Cold weather one takes as a 

 matter of course, grumbling not if the wind be moderate 

 and mackintoshes remain unstrapped. 



The two points of congratulation were (i) that the 

 pool was in perfect height and colour ; and (2) that 

 the light was good. The first condition was satis- 

 factory for Grey, the angler, the second for Brown, 

 the kodakeer. And herein lurks a necessity for ex- 

 planation. Grey had one evening, at the Fly Fishers' 



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