88 Fly Fishing for Sea Trout. 



me a hint what to do ; but the rod was put 

 together, the line run through the rings, the reel 

 adjusted, the casting line clumsily attached, and a 

 fly selected from the book, I well recollect, a green 

 body and grey wings, and I tried to cast the line 

 into the stream. Well, never shall I forget that 

 first cast. Not having secured the top joint, that 

 and the line shot well into the river. And again I 

 soon found the fly entangled in the line ; that was 

 got clear ; then when casting again I found no fly 

 at the end of the line ! Another was put on : a 

 peculiar kind of crack behind me when casting, 

 and lo ! this fly was gone. What was to be 

 done ? try another fly : no better result. First it 

 hit a stone, then the line got tangled into strange 

 knots that took half-an-hour to unravel ; patience 

 was getting exhausted the whole lot shall go to 

 the first boy I meet the Art of fly-fishing was too 

 much for me. Another cast, however, to see whether 

 I could not be more successful. To my surprise 

 the fly went out straight into the ripple, there 

 was a break of the water, and the line tightened. 

 Fortunately the Reel was free. Away went the line, 

 the rod bent I had hooked a fish, and after most 

 gentle and patient working, I landed a beautiful 

 silvery sea trout of a pound and a half. How I 

 managed it I cannot tell, but I drew him gently out 

 to a flat bit of sand, threw the rod down, and rushed 



