226 THE TROUT ARE RISING 
his bag is more convenient than one with just a 
plain staff. The beginner may be tempted to buy 
himself a small shallow net. That is a mistake. 
Have a net which is deep and roomy, as you 
never know what big trout fortune may have in 
store for you. Once on the Umgeni I had a 
shallow landing net and a trout actually got out 
of it and back into the water. Fortunately the 
fish was well hooked, but the incident taught its 
lesson. 
All the angler’s requirements can be obtained 
in South Africa, unless, of course, the world- 
shortage in production has caused a temporary 
deficiency in stock, perhaps in special makes of 
rod, for instance. But supplies will, no doubt, 
in good time be made up. Human nature 
(especially business nature) is the same the world 
over, Shops and stores want to sell goods to 
you, and, if they have not a special line in stock, 
and if you give the order for it, they will as soon 
as possible do their best to give you satisfaction. 
The trout fisherman about to visit South 
Africa for the first time will naturally ask if 
waders are necessary. The reply is that, taking 
South African trout rivers as a whole, wading 
can be dispensed with. A man should be able to 
cast satisfactorily from the bank, The drawback 
about wearing waders in South Africa for any 
lengthy period of the day is this: the climate is a 
warm one, and waders are heavy. In Natal and 
East Griqualand, particularly, they are practically 
unnecessary. Of course if the angler’s head- 
