THE WING-FOOTED 



such colours. The stranger cannot be 

 mistaken, and you must be quick indeed, 

 if the barb is to be driven home. A 

 strike which would snatch the fly away 

 from the slower moving fontinalis is 

 barely fast enough for the Malbaie 

 trout ; moreover, he gives you one chance 

 and only one. More alert at the next 

 rise, the fish is struck, and now other 

 differences are revealed. The struggle 

 is one of rapid, baffling turns, of taut 

 line and sounding reel, of prodigious 

 runs and unexpected jumps. There are 

 no moments of quiet tugging, no dogged 

 soundings nor sullen head-shakings. To 

 keep a steady and an even strain upon 

 this creature flashing hither and thither 

 in water or air, occupies you continuous- 

 ly and engrossingly. Nor is the battle 

 soon over ; with greater power and speed 

 he has also more endurance than the 

 brook trout, and outlasts him, weight 

 for weight. Opportunity for compari- 

 son is at hand, since the lake contains as 



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