Optimism on the Stream 



though the looked-for rises come not; 

 or the compelling force may be a very 

 persistent kind of hopefulness, or an 

 enlarged optimism that exhibits itself 

 in a marked degree when he is casting 

 a fly in which he thoroughly believes. 

 Sometimes the resulting persistence is 

 rewarded, as in the following case: 

 On the Willowemoc one day I came 

 to a most enticing little run, the deep 

 water being only about two or three 

 feet wide and four or five feet in depth, 

 flowing swiftly but smoothly along the 

 edge of an elongated brush heap close 

 to the bank. Being in a persistent 

 and optimistic mood, and believing 

 that there must be a good trout in 

 such a delightful stretch of water, I 

 determined to remain there until the 

 fish had been brought around to my 

 way of thinking. For half an hour I 

 floated fly after fly over its supposed 



[69] 



