io6 MINOR TACTICS OF THE CHALK STREAM 



stream. The novice, unaccustomed to anything 

 more formidable than Devonshire brook trout, 

 disregarded his companion's advice, " Run, man, 

 run downstream for all you're worth !" and backed, 

 open-mouthed, slowly upstream, letting out line 

 as freely as the reel (a checkless one) would let it 

 go. So long as the line put no check upon him 

 the trout ploughed downstream close to the 

 surface, but the moment the reel was empty and 

 he felt the check he was deep in a weed-bed. He 

 stayed there till the angler had reeled up and put 

 on another fly. The checked fish goes to weed. 

 That was the first lesson. 



The second was in this wise : On a September 

 morning a good many years back, a brace of 

 trout were rising, a yard or so apart, above 

 a tree which overhung the same water on the 

 side where the angler stood knee- deep in a 

 swampy reed - bed. It was possible to reach 

 them if, holding by his left hand to a bough, 

 and resting one foot on a root while dangling the 

 other in the water, he hung over the river at an 

 angle of forty-five degrees, and threw his line under- 

 hand up the stream. But how if he hooked his 

 fish ? There was a bank of weeds, dense and 

 long, a yard or two above. Well, he must chance 

 it. The likelihood of losing the fish seemed over- 

 whelming, the chance of killing him slight ; for 

 the position was so awkward that, in order to get 

 back to terra firma, there was nothing for it but 



