ioo The Angler's Secret 



form is revealed to them over the bank. 

 On the south side, in the shade, two 

 trout, weighing fully a pound and a half 

 each, lie calmly in the centre of the brook, 

 while over near the bushes, farther up the 

 stream, a little trout, not more than three 

 inches long, is gently resting without a 

 perceptible movement. Stealthily creep- 

 ing down the south bank into the weeds, I 

 slowly proceed toward the stream at the 

 point where the two big trout rest, and, as 

 quietly as possible, toss over the cast of 

 three flies, which alight on the water as 

 softly as though they had fallen off a 

 bush only a few feet above the water's 

 surface. I cannot now see the trout, 

 for I dare not raise my head above the 

 weeds. 



Trout fear man, and it *s to the angler's 

 advantage to be seen by them as little as 

 possible. There being no rise, the gentle 

 cast is repeated with the same care and 

 repeated again and again, but all without 

 a rise. I peep over the weeds and have 



