CASTING FROM ROCKS AND BOATS 179 



dred yards either way ; the stream then took a sudden 

 turn at the lower end, charging direct upon a long line 

 of smooth, lofty, round-headed rocks, sloping con- 

 siderably more than the roof of an ordinary house. 

 They would be of an average of 30 ft. above the water. 

 The river, after babbling over its expanse of shallows, 

 swerved sharply and coursed along at their feet in a 

 kind of gut, which was said to give the best low water 

 holding ground in that part of the river. 



In the early part of July the view from The Rocks, 

 as we called them in special distinction, was most 

 enchanting. The whole expanse was full like a lake, 

 only a single spit cumbered with logs showing above 

 water. One of our three boats was fastened ashore to 

 a line of booms fixed to direct the course of the timber, 

 which was already beginning to come down in force, 

 and it was always possible to pull across to a convenient 

 corner of The Rocks, and save ourselves a considerable 

 journey by land. As time went on the brimming lake 

 disappeared ; little white heads of stones wou'j 

 one morning, and thereafter enlarge day by day until 

 they emerged as innumerable upstanding boulders 

 The boat was now no longer available, for the water 

 was so shallow that it was blocked effectually at the 

 outset. The stream, of course, charged down upon The 

 Rocks in gathering strength, and for the first fortnight 

 we were always sure of a grilse or two. At first The 

 Rocks had to be fished by standing on their open 

 crowns, and although one was in constant fear of scaring 

 the fish by showing on such an eminence, no great harm 

 seemed to be done, probably because there was a back- 

 ground of pine trees in the forest behind. As time 

 advanced little ledges on the rock slopes were left dry 

 by the water, and it was possible to slide down to them 

 on all fours and fish the run with the rocks behind us, 



