4 AXGLIXG SKETCHES 



fields, wherever I had the kick. I never tie nor 

 other«'ise fasten the Johns of my rod ; they often 

 shp out of the sockets and splash into the water. 

 Mr. Hardy, however, has invented a joint-fastening 

 which never slips. On the other hand, b\' letting 

 the joint rust, you may find it difficult to take 

 down your rod. \Mien I see a trout rising, I 

 always cast so as to get hung up, and I frighten 

 him as I disengage my hook. I invariably fall in 

 and get half-drowned when I wade, there being an 

 insufficicnc}' of nails in the soles of m}' brogues. 

 M)- waders let in water, too, and when I go out to 

 fish I usually lea\'e either m\- reel, or m)- flies, or 

 my rod, at home. Perhaps no other man's average 

 of lost flies in proportion to taken trout was ever 

 so great as mine. I lose plent}-, b\' striking 

 furiousl)-, after a series of short rises, and breaking 

 the gut, with \\-hich the fish swims awa)-. .As to 

 dressing a fly, one would sooner think -of dressing 

 a dinner. The result of the fly-dressing would 

 resemble a small blacking-brush, perhaps, but 

 nothing entomological. 



Then wh)-, a perse^-cring reader may ask, do I 



