STREAMCRAFT 



are largely added to should he be rewarded by 

 seeing a swirl or feeling the tug of the line which 

 indicates that he has by his skill deceived the 

 wary trout or bass. 



"Continued practise with the fly-rod in fish- 

 ing develops the sense of touch to such a fine 

 point that one can actually feel the hook enter- 

 ing the jaws of the fish, and when the gentle 

 yet firm resistance of the hooked fish is at first 

 felt one experiences the transmission of an ex- 

 ceedingly delightful thrill, such as cannot be 

 obtained through any other medium. After 

 the first few rushes and leaps of the fish are 

 over, the angler becomes collected and settles 

 down to give battle to the fighting beauty, 

 knowing full well that one moment's forgetful- 

 ness on his part may mean the breaking of the 

 delicate leader and the losing of the quarry. 

 In rough waters, on a nicely balanced fly-rod of 

 about four ounces, a trout weighing one pound 

 is a hard customer to land and gives more fight 

 than a fish weighing four pounds on a bait-rod. 

 Owing to the very fine gut leaders used, one 

 cannot force the fish, as is possible with bait 

 tackle, and while there is a certain amount of 

 anxiety felt during the process of playing him, 

 and you give a sigh of relief when he is at last 

 brought to the net or laid on the bank, you 

 feel that a fish caught in this manner is worth 

 ten via the bait route." 



158 



