RANDOM MEMORIES 73 



to success in fishing ? So much has been 

 written on the " gentle art," that the 

 novice has been led to believe quite natu- 

 rally that irresolute tenderness will help 

 him to catch fish, whereas your really fine 

 fisherman is never finicking or uncertain. 

 That well-cocked fly which has fallen 

 perfectly was attained by no half-hearted 

 methods, but is the outcome of a direct and 

 powerful cast with plenty of muscle behind 

 it. Again, the pull home in the strike of 

 a rising fish may be a subtle inspiration, 

 but is certainly not a tentative wobble. 



Only on a brook of fair size does Jean 

 Pierre ply his up-stream methods. On the 

 smaller waters we fish down, or any way 

 that fancy leads us. The Breton landes 

 contain numbers of these narrow runnels, 

 so small that it would seem impossible 

 that they should hold such plump and 

 sparkling trout. They are always the 

 excuse, should one be needed, for a walk 

 through this wonderful country of charm, 

 and they can supply us with a good dish 

 of fish to carry home in the evening. 



Whatever our friend of the chalk 

 stream may have to say in disparagement 



