EQUIPMENT FOR SOUTH AFRICA 223 
to see. In any case, there is not much to 
remember gratefully about the capture of small 
trout with an anchor for a hook, a cable for a 
line, a bowsprit for a rod, 
Keeping out of sight and using fairly fine gut 
may be condensed into “fish fine and far off.” 
This may not be generally approved. Some 
anglers prefer not to risk getting broken on fine 
tackle, Therefore they adopt, say, 2X gut. Again, 
some fly-fishermen do not like fishing far off, 
and swear by a short line; their argument being 
that, once you have risen your fish, you stand a 
very much better chance of a successful strike 
than with a long line. The creed of those who 
will not have very fine gut, and who prefer a 
short line, was translated by a master angler and 
writer as: “Fish with gut as thick as you dare, 
and fish as near as you can.” But try these 
things for yourself. Make your own experi- 
ments. Learn. You will sooner or later teach 
yourself; or rather Experience will be your 
teacher. Writing according to my own experience 
and especially my own enjoyment, for trout I still 
extol the adage, “ Fish fine and far off” —though 
I am not ignorant of the risks, difficulties, and 
even disasters that may come by reason of a long 
line. 
All gut should be soaked beforehand. With 
fine gut, especially, the cast must be thoroughly 
soaked beforehand. Soak it for a quarter of an 
hour before use. Put the cast in a saucer con- 
taining sufficient lukewarm water. A little 
