BLANK DAYS. 81 



in earnest. The fish never showed, he kept well 

 under and seemed stronger indeed he began to 

 assume the imaginative proportions of a three- 

 quarter pounder. 



Round the railing he came, the line resting 

 on barbed wire, until I could get over and lift 

 the skirts of a mackintosh as well as disentangle 

 the net. Then he kicked on a tight line, but 

 it was no good, for as it proved he was only 

 a nine ouncer hooked foul in the cheek. 



Never in my experience has a foul-hooked 

 trout managed to regain his pals without taking 

 the hook to prove his story. 



During the landing process the other fish 

 rose and joined his fellow only seven ounces 

 and that ended it. After such a bad day it 

 seemed foolish to wait in the growing cold 

 another hour and a half for the next train. 

 The rod was put down on the platform in good 

 time and, to show how childish a man can 

 become, I was quite elated at this piece of luck. 

 Others had scored a brace, or a blank and so 

 had I but for this accommodating party of four 

 taking a snack after hours an utter blank just 

 avoided, but so narrowly that the days record 

 is properly included in this chapter. 



It is difficult to give hints for days which 

 threaten to be blanks. Change of fly effects 

 something; change of tactics more. The best 

 chance lies in a change of water, I mean to 

 fish parts which ordinarily you pass by. More 

 particularly does this apply to shallows. If the 

 day is blustering think of some exposed shallow 



G 



