OLD JOYS IN NEW PLACES 281 
England and South Africa, ‘ On a certain trout 
water in Staffordshire a big, strapping man had 
asked for a few hints as to throwing a fly, and, 
the hints given, he was performing promisingly. 
Then suddenly he had a rise, and the trout stayed 
on the hook, It was not a large fish, but the man 
with the rod became helpless, amusingly helpless ; 
he fairly pleaded for the management of affairs to 
be taken off his hands. “TI shall only lose the 
trout,” he urged, pathetically. It seemed’ strange 
that a man keen to learn fly-fishing as he was 
should be not only willing but anxious to forego 
the thrilling moment. So it was, however, in 
spite of his being quietly encouraged to hold on; 
and the fish was therefore played for him, and 
duly landed. This little incident came swiftly to 
mind when, several years later, I was bottom- 
fishing for yellow fish in the Klip river, Trans- 
vaal. A friendly neighbour, coming up, was 
invited to join our little party. A rod was handed 
to him. He had never fished before, but, as so 
often happens to novices, he had good luck. 
Scarcely had he put in before he exclaimed: “1 
have one!” Sohe had. The thrilling moment, 
however, had no attraction for him, He implored 
me to take the rod. The information that it is 
better for each man to catch his own fish did not 
appeal to him. He replied with great earnestness 
that he did not know how, that he was sure he 
would only lose the fish, As he seemed to be 
qualifying rapidly for this result, the fish was 
therefore caught by proxy. It was a silver fish, 
