WITH ROD AND CREEL IN NATAL 241 



were put together, and having arranged to meet at the 

 bungalow at midday, my companion and I parted, he 

 going up, while I elected to try my luck down stream. 



There was no lack of insect life on the river, and having 

 noticed a number of small fish rising to a fly resembUng 

 a blue dun, I turned over the time-discoloured parchment 

 leaves of my dear old fly-book until I came to a bunch of 

 small and beautifully tied " blue duns," one of which 

 I selected and attached to the finest drawn cast I could 

 find amongst my tackle. There was just sufiicient ripple 

 on the water to lend a well-thrown dry-fly a very lively 

 appearance. 



My first cast, however, was about as clumsily managed 

 as possible ; but in spite of the fly having fallen " all of a 

 heap," it was taken instantly by a plucky little 4-ounce 

 " rainbow," which jumped high out of the water when he 

 felt the " steel," and fought as gallantly as many a trout 

 of twice his weight which I have caught in English trout 

 streams. At length I had him safely in the landing-net, 

 and a brilliantly marked little fellow he was. Elated 

 with the success of my first cast, I carefully fished 

 every foot of water running between my starting place 

 and a belt of willows growing about a quarter of a mile 

 lower down the reach. For some little time, however, I 

 failed to rise a fish of any kind, and was in the act of 

 reeling in my line preparatory to looking for a fresh run 

 beyond the willows, when the swirl of a heavy fish travel- 

 ling in the direction of my fly attracted my attention. 

 The next moment the artificial dun was sucked be- 

 Q 



