CHAPTER VII 

 THE POINT OF VIEW 



THE capture of a splendid ouananiche under 

 circumstances most trying is somewhere de- 

 scribed by a well-known writer, who, in his inim- 

 itable style, exhibits himself before his readers 

 running through his entire assortment of artificial 

 flies, first one and then another and still another, 

 and all without avail. We see him casting, cast- 

 ing, all impatience, determined, perhaps exasper- 

 ated. Surely some sort of lure is predicated. 

 But what ? Ah, he has it ! A live grasshopper. 

 Then follows the pursuit, the overtaking, and 

 the capture of the grasshopper, the impaling 

 of its unfortunate body, its proffer to the fish, 

 a desperate battle, and, finally, the contempla- 

 tion of the finest fish of the season safely landed. 

 The thrilling moment! Which was it? Why, 

 of all moments, that one in which he captured 

 the grasshopper! The story affords a fine illus- 

 tration of what I call the "point of view," but 

 until after the revelation that came to me with 

 my first success with the dry fly, I did not 



fully appreciate its finer and deeper meanings. 



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