THE DUFFER'S FORTNIGHT 221 



only alone, but also the first to burst into that 

 silent scene. 



Let me now confess that the affair did not turn 

 out quite as I had hoped. Those large trout, so 

 visible and apparently so ready for me, displayed 

 an unexpected amount of self-control. I laboured 

 over them for about an hour, and the net result 

 was three short rises. It struck me that they could 

 not really be on terms with the Mayfly yet, and that 

 they might be the better for a rest while I had lunch. 

 One thing was practically certain they could not 

 fail to come on some time, when the fly should get a 

 bit thicker, and then, not having seen any other 

 artificial flies, they would certainly take mine. 



So I lunched, sitting peacefully on my basket, 

 with one eye cocked for a proper rise at a fly 

 so far it had been a matter of occasional bulges 

 after nymphs. To me, thus sitting, entered then 

 he whom I shall call the First Angler, both by reason 

 of his priority and of his acknowledged skill. With 

 him there was a pleasant chat. In the course of 

 it it appeared that he knew all about the corner. 

 More than that, I learnt that its fishable condition 

 was due to him, for he had recently been among 

 the withies with a pruning-knife. The result, easy 

 casting, combined with good cover, did him great 

 credit. But it was evident that I was in no sense 



