THE DRY-FLY FAILS 287 



prepared, and yet, save for a few negligible instances, 

 it was being ignored ; we hoped that acceptance of 

 the minute dainties would come later, or, better 

 still, that a swarm of sedges would arrive and be 

 received with greater favour by the trout. 



The bow-rod diligently searches the waters with 

 a quartette of tiny doubles, while we from the stern 

 strive to lay a floater neatly on a likely spot, or 

 with great effort struggle to reach some far-off 

 promising mark. An hour passes, uneventful if 

 we except a few offers made without serious intent, 

 and yet the feeling persists that reward may come 

 at any moment. It is somewhat dreary fishing 

 blindly in a calm, almost as monotonous as doing 

 nothing, and several times we are on the point of 

 deciding to suspend operations, when a trout comes 

 up to inspect. So the attention never wanders 

 far. 



Surely that is a boil in the vicinity of the sunken 

 lures. We are not mistaken. The strike is admin- 

 istered in time and with judicious strength, and 

 the shriek of the reel announces that at last a fly 

 has found a victim. Before the long line can be 

 recovered, the trout dives for the nearest weed bed 

 and succeeds in reaching it, but obedient to the 

 steady, unceasing strain it is forced to come out 

 into more open water. As the fish tears off across 

 the bows, the cast shows above the surface ; three 

 of the flies are decorated with green sliminess ; but 

 the fourth is fast in a noble trout. The fight is long 

 and for a time uncertain, but at length the net is 

 called for. The spell of patient toil is rewarded at 

 last ; a trout of ij Ib. is able to produce forget- 

 fulness. 



