CLEAR WATERS 



in the make-up. But you couldn't buy one anything 

 like them then. I well remember the self-abasement 

 with which I used to compare my Exeter-built rods, 

 models of lightness as they were regarded in my own 

 small circle, with these others, these graceful but 

 powerful little featherweights. Whether they would 

 have stood a great strain I do not know, for they were 

 rarely called upon to do so. Bowden's masterpieces 

 were utterly condemned in these hypercritical circles 

 as clumsy, wobbly, and top-heavy, though admitted to 

 be an improvement on the ordinary ' Cockney ' rod, 

 by which I fear was meant the productions of Farlow 

 and other such great men. When possible I was 

 supplied with a * proper rod,' for which indeed I was 

 always truly grateful, and spared the sense of humiliation 

 inseparable from waving an unscientific article of 

 commerce over the sacred waters of the Wear. Here, 

 too, I was first introduced to the single hair, and if 

 there was a chestnut stallion domiciled in that part of 

 the country I am sure the demands upon his tail must 

 have reduced it to the most ignoble proportion. The 

 flies were, I need hardly say, tied at home, and I can 

 still remember the half-dozen popular varieties ; for 

 this type of purism dealt very little in scientific 

 entomology, though like that of Mr. Stewart its flies 

 did great things. 



Local prejudices were intensely strong. They 

 were not confined to rods, tackle, and flies, but even 

 the landing-net there in vogue was the only possible 

 variety that it was decent to be seen about with. Any 

 other pattern wrote down its bearer as hopelessly out- 

 side the pale. This local sample had a stout shaft, 

 294 



