94 TROUT FISHING 



thought it was the local reflection of that 

 little break in the clouds near where the 

 sun is ; but I see it must be the same all 

 over the loch." 



This surprising incident seemed to 

 warrant a spirit of inquiry into other 

 assumptions about the light in angUng. 

 Not long afterwards I was with another 

 man on the same lake. It was morning ; 

 the wind was from the east, which, as Fife 

 is on the east coast, was not a bad portent ; 

 we had just begun our first drift. " What 

 do you think of the water ? " I asked. 

 " Splendid," he answered, gaily. "Rough 

 and blue ; no glare ; the very water I like 

 to see ! " " Yes 1 Look round, then." He 

 turned ; and saw that all the broad expanse 

 behind was sparkling as if it had been 

 studded with diamonds. "What if the 

 wind changed, and we had to cast in that 

 direction ? " " O," said my companion 

 ruefully, " it would never do at all : not a 

 fish would stir ! " " Well, it's all the same 

 where you throw the flies. The glare's 

 in front as weU as behind. Don't you 



