INTRODUCTION 3 



the stream he offered to bet the cigars that he 

 would capture a trout in less than five minutes I 

 was surprised, for I had understood that speckled 

 trout were among the wariest of fish. With my 

 eyes upon the trout expert, I walked up to a 

 highway bridge which spanned the creek we were 

 to fish, and dropped my hook, baited with a worm, 

 into the water with a resounding splash. It hap- 

 pened that I had made little noise in my approach 

 and that a vagrant breeze took charge of my bait 

 and swung it back under the bridge. Instantly 

 there was a great commotion and a sharp tug 

 upon my line. A second later an eight-inch spar- 

 kling fish went sailing through the air, striking in 

 the dust of the highway w r ith a resounding "thud." 

 I had caught the first trout, beating the expert 

 by full four minutes. Instantly the ita est of 

 fuzzy youth came to the surface. I knew all 

 about trout fishing. The slyness of the fish had 

 been over-rated, the skill required on the part 

 of the angler overestimated. Alas for me! I 

 fished two long weary days and not until the eve- 

 ning of the second did I capture another trout, 

 then it was a little immature fingerling which I 

 returned to the water with great disgust. The 

 other members of the party all caught trout, the 

 expert landing one that weighed over two pounds, 



