208 THE TROUT ARE RISING 
and two brown trout. As I looked, and looked, 
at those splendid creatures I was thrilled by their 
beauty. Comparisons are sometimes unwise, and 
nothing is further from my mind than to wish to 
indulge in them here (besides, I have not been to 
New Zealand), but the thought came to me, why 
should not South Africa, too, attract trout-fisher- 
men oversea, in spite of Captain Donne and his 
persuasive powers? But I hasten to add that, 
whilst sure of and secure in the claims of his 
beloved New Zealand, he is the broadest-minded 
of men, and he would not object. There are 
plenty of anglers in the world. 
When a fly-fishing enthusiast can spare the 
time and money for a long holiday, with the 
advantage of a sea voyage, and decides to visit 
South Africa, he has to remember that the seasons 
there are the reverse of those in the United 
Kingdom. For instance, instead of a Christmas 
with folk bewrapped and befurred, he will find a 
Christmas with a blue sky and people dressed in 
summer attire—for it is midsummer there. June 
and July, on the other hand, mean winter in South 
Africa, and, though it may not be generally 
realized, it is then sharply cold last thing at night 
and first thing in the morning in South Africa, 
especially in Johannesburg, which is 5740 feet 
above sea level. Rain falls in the Transvaal, 
Orange Free State, and Natal in the summer; it 
is exceptional for it to occur in these Provinces 
in the winter. On the other hand, rain falls in 
some parts of the Cape Province in winter. 
