EXPERIENCES WITH " BOB ' 73 



" Bob " was afraid that some day, finding that the 

 " smittal " cupboard was bare, I should be at a loss 

 to know what to do. He used to talk about the 

 difference a breath of wind made in bringing the 

 flies on to the water at certain places. 



The glides at the head of streams, usually of a 

 glassy flatness, were favourite places with him, and 

 particularly so when rippled by a breeze. As he 

 approached them it was plain to see that he was 

 wading even more cautiously than in the rough 

 stream below, and manoeuvring, as it were, for the 

 advantage over the sharp sight of the fish in regard 

 to both shadow and substance. 



The first yard or two of the quickest glide was 

 cast over with exceeding care just as if he 

 expected to find there something unusually large. 

 You might have thought that, like the Dry Fly man, 

 he had marked his fish and was casting right over 

 him. Moving upwards, with the shallow side of 

 the water on his left hand, he would first of all care- 

 fully test that water, where a basking trout might 

 easily be found, and which, when hooked, would 

 roll over, when one would be surprised that its 

 back had not shown out of the water before, for so 

 thin a liquid covering was there over the gravelly 

 bottom. 



Veering gradually round he would continue this 



