AN ANGLER'S PARADISE 107 



the fly in calm water. Indeed his temper was 

 quite ruffled when, by the use of small flies and 

 fine tackle, the fallacy of this theory was clearly 

 proven to him. 



If the occupants of the boat had not had a 

 rise for perhaps a quarter of an hour, impatient 

 internal noises might be heard, and he would be 

 observed to search through his bulky fly-book for 

 an appropriate fly of his own dressing. At last 

 the murmurs would take expression in a violent 

 burst, with — " I have a silver boadied flee here, 

 sir, that I would like you to try I " and which 

 you had to try, or woe betide you. And you 

 must thereupon fasten to your delicate casting- 

 line a strand of gut like a cable, on the end of 

 which was a huge "silver-boadied flee" dressed 

 with a gaudy pheasant wing, and which, with 

 luck, might occasionally hook an unsophisticated 

 trout if the breeze were strong enough. It was 

 only the knowledge of the intense keenness of the 

 man that could bring one to suffer his domineering 

 spirit. 



There was also another boatman at Tomdown 

 at one time, whom we will call " Angus " — a much 

 younger man than Anderson, but who possessed 



