228 AN ANGLER'S HOURS xm 



is won, or rather the fish is beaten. Then 

 arises another problem : how is it to be 

 landed ? The victor casts himself on the 

 ground and tries to reach down over the wall 

 with his landing-net, but finds that he can- 

 not come within six inches of the water. 

 He must hazard all. Still lying down he 

 lays the rod on the grass and takes the line 

 in his left hand, and then with his heart in 

 his mouth lifts the fish out of the water 

 until he can put the net under it. It is a 

 risky manoeuvre, but good tackle will always 

 stand more strain than one expects, and one 

 can afford to take an occasional liberty with 

 it. The principal danger is that the fish, 

 finding itself in the air, may begin to kick, 

 or the hook may lose its hold. But our 

 angler succeeds this time, and secures his 

 first fish, and is mightily pleased about it. 

 There is nothing more important to success 

 in brook-fishing than to catch one's first fish 

 early in the day ; it prevents the despair and 

 incredulity which are only too likely to fill 

 the soul when one has angled for hours with- 

 out seeing a trace of a fish. 



He puts his trout in his basket on a bed 

 of long grass, and considers his next move. 



