The Impatient Angler 19 



reeled twenty fish in less than an hour's 

 time. Previous to this success we tried 

 half a dozen other patterns, with but 

 little reward beyond a rise now and then 

 by a few inquisitive streamsters who were 

 only curious to know what our offerings 

 really were. Later, I fancy, these same 

 cunning half-pounders fell victims to the 

 seasonable patterns we whipped into their 

 element, when not chilled by clots of melt- 

 ing snow and raw winds that now swept 

 over the brooks and made the April day 

 feel more like one of a mid-winter month. 

 My rod and reel for early fishing are 

 the same as I use at all times, and, like 

 the choice of flies, are perhaps too simple 

 for most anglers. The rod is a tiny 

 lancewood of four ounces in weight and 

 not over eight feet in length. The ordi- 

 nary trout fly-rod is of six ounces and 

 measures about ten feet. The weight is 

 no less happy than my selection, but I 

 cannot appreciate the length, because 

 most of my trout-fishing is done in small 



