NIGHT-FISHING REALIZATION 99 



arms when the sea-trout is safely inside, as the fish can 

 be more easily controlled in a loose net. 



Another benefit which accrues from angling with a few 

 kindred spirits is that the homeward journey in the 

 early hours, if made with a friend or two, is more inter- 

 esting than is trudging alone an uncharted path of a 

 couple of miles. 



Most night anglers either keep their rods and tackle in 

 commission or assemble their gear in daylight before 

 embarking on their expedition. If your route is beside 

 bushes and under trees do not fail to disjoint your rod. 

 There is no necessity to dismantle the reel and line. 

 See that the fly is secure in the fly-ring, then simply pull 

 the rod apart and twist the spare line round the joints. 

 You will be able to walk with greater comfort by gripping 

 three feet of rod than by trailing a length of nine feet, 

 and, as a sequel to the foresight, you will arrive at your 

 destination in a better frame of mind. The rod can be 

 taken down and reassembled in a couple of minutes. 

 I urge this point because to reach a pool for which I have 

 a strong partiality, my way meanders through coppices 

 and across marshes. Here and there barbed-wire fences 

 have to be negotiated and slippery hollows traversed. 

 Consequently a journey in the dark is not exactly a 

 delight, particularly with a rod of unwieldy length. 

 Indeed, on a fair path an assembled rod is a handicap 

 w r hen daylight has departed, so you are advised to accept 

 a graceful warning. 



When you arrive at the river, do not waste time in 

 flogging glides and broken water, but go straight to the 

 pools. Sea-trout know their river as well as you know 

 the road in which your home is set, and the fish spend 

 their nights in deep pools. If you cannot turn a sea- 

 trout in that water you may be sure that to try elsewhere 

 will be fruitless. 



