TIPS. 99 



one's skill and efficiency. By aid of a matlicmatically precise 

 movement of the rod towards tlic near l)anl<, and of a gentle drawing 

 in one foot of line at a time, the fly sailed, though as yet to no purpose, 

 right across this piece of almost standing water, in a natural and most 

 alluring manner. Then the angler struck a course sideways and made 

 for the bank. " Fortune," said he, " seems to frown on me, but should 

 she favour me next time (and at this spot fortune, as well as intelli- 

 gence, must always play a considerable part), I shall have a better 

 chance of unsheathing the gaff a shade higher up than I should have 

 had here ; at any rate, the fish will have room to turn, and then there 

 wi.uld he a hctler chance of puUin;^ the iionk liomc." 



iXlive, alert, and free from unwarranted optimism, liic persevering 

 sportsman, after a nip of whisky neat, " for the water is icy cold," 

 changed his fly for a similar patleni somewiiat larger, and then 

 planted himself quite three }'ards higjier up the ri\er than before. 

 Turning an ear, deaf as an adder's, to his host crying vivaciously " the 

 fly is miles too big," tJic wily angler, whose tactics turned out to be 

 identical witii those previously observed, drew yet another blank and 

 shrewdly remarked: "Bother that retriever! I wish the keeper 

 would ])a(k him off to the place where the angels come from, or shut 

 him in the iioth)'. The salmon can see every hair of the smallest dog 

 floundering about on the bank like that." 



Presently, wlien the fly in its second passage across reached the 

 midille of tlie catch, the angler rherked the movement of the rod to 

 make the fly stop short. Then, in the most encouraging tones, we 

 heard : " Now's the time, gentlemen, mind and keep a sharp 

 look-out ! " 



After a brief interval, a moment or two of breathless excitement. 



