THE USE OF THE FILE 



67 



or maybe from catching it in that bough a minute 

 ago. 



The fine splitting file on the disgorger in my knife 

 now becomes useful. Two or three applications of 

 the file to the point of the hook, and it has as fine 

 a needle point as ever. It does not take more than 

 five seconds to sharpen the point of a hook. It renews 

 the usefulness of the fly and saves time ; therefore, 

 always carry a file. It may be that your last speci- 

 men of the taking fly has become blunted, and if you 

 have no file you will most likely lose your fish and 

 spoil the rest of your day's sport.* 



Now fish up that run, beginning where you saw the 

 rise in the pool below it. Cast your fly just where the 

 rush of the stream begins to lessen, and let it float 

 well down. Strike ! Well done ! Bring the fish down 

 into the pool, so as not to frighten the others in the 

 stream above. Keep him out of that dark deep bend, 

 where the blackberry-bushes hang over the stream. 

 That's right : don't touch your net until you have 

 beaten him. Shorten your line a bit more, and now 

 use your net ; stoop down as much as you can, so as 

 to keep out of sight, not only of the fish on your line, 

 but of others which may have followed him down. 

 Well done ! Give me the fish and dry your fly again, 

 and try the run right up from where you caught your 



* In my original design for this knife I omitted the screwdriver, 

 and I owe the idea of this useful tool to Mr. Marston, senior, and 

 Mr. R. B. Marston, who separately, when looking at the knife, 

 suggested that it only wanted a screwdriver to make it perfect. 

 I was only too happy to avail myself of their dual experience. For 

 further particulars of this knife, see p. 257. 



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