ix FESTIVAL OF GREEN DRAKE 151 



the feeling for good-fellowship that makes 

 so many men drink whisky), will not turn 

 to and make a meal of it after he has 

 reached any considerable size. So we will 

 not waste any more good exertion on him. 



But there is the rise of an indubitable 

 trout, out in the middle of the rapid above 

 the pool. It is difficult to cover the spot, 

 because there is a thick bank of weeds 

 between us and it, and the line catching 

 thereon will make the fly drag at once. 

 There are two ways of getting over the 

 problem. One is to go up above the fish 

 and float the fly down to him, a method to 

 which there are the objections that you must 

 stake your all on the one cast, as in lifting 

 the line off the water you are bound to 

 frighten him, and that if you should get a 

 rise you are very likely to miss him. The 

 other method is to make what I may call 

 a false cast from below. That is to say, 

 you get out considerably more line than 

 you require to reach the spot, and check it 

 in its outward flight, so that some yards 

 fall in clumsy coils outside the weeds. It 

 is not pretty to see, but it at least allows 

 the fly to float down for a yard or two 



