10 The Angler's Secret 



well to-night and feel like working harder 

 than ever to-morrow." 



A tyro can catch fish of some sort on 

 his first salt-water trip, and he may take 

 a pickerel, perch, rock bass, sunfish, or 

 catfish on his initial outing on fresh water, 

 but his first day at salmon, trout,. or black 

 bass will not be as remunerative in the 

 actual catching of fish. 



I was a careful and earnest tyro when I 

 first waded for brook trout, and although 

 the practical troutmen took dozens of 

 beauties right by my side I was unable to 

 secure a strike for many days, and when 

 I did manage to make my artificial fly 

 attractive by flailing it somewhat accord- 

 ing to the natural movements of the liv- 

 ing insect and thus secure a rise, I was 

 unable to hook the prize until I mastered 

 the provoking tricks of the experienced 

 rodman. And yet at the very start I 

 imagined I was fishing as correctly as any 

 man on the stream. I used the same 

 lures as the more successful anglers, and, 



