BROWN WATERS 



lent you a better rod, and his advice 

 upon the management of it. When the 

 line cracked like a whiplash it was he 

 who taught you to count "one" for the 

 forward cast, "two and" for the back 

 cast, so that the fly might have time to 

 straighten out, to use the wrist and 

 spare the arm, to make the rod work by 

 checking it near the perpendicular, to 

 strike reel down and play reel up, to cast 

 above and not at the water, how to out- 

 manoeuvre a wind or get line away with 

 trees behind you, to coax a short-rising 

 fish, to tie a fly and make a fisherman's 

 bend, that haste is of the devil and does 

 not make for speed, why science as well 

 as humanity bids you kill your fish when 

 taken. ' ' Taught, ' ' did I say : rather put 

 you in the way of learning, for a life- 

 time is not likely to exhaust the theory 

 and practice of fishing. 



The days came when you were on 

 your own, and the chase of the fabulous 

 trout began. What planning, scheming 



23 



