THE "WHUSTLER " 235 



That showed the clouds to be thin and 

 airy. At length, apparently, we were 

 to have a good day. Anglers will know 

 what that means. Others will regard it 

 as an unimportant remark, and will per- 

 haps say that fishermen, like farmers, are 

 always grumbling. Those who are neither 

 fishermen nor farmers are strangely 

 ignorant about the weather. The out- 

 standing facts are plain to them ; but 

 they are not conscious of the grada- 

 tions and other subtleties. They know 

 when there's rain, or heat, or cold, 

 or a gale ; but when they go forth to 

 business of a morning feeling chilled a 

 little they say, " Ah ! an east wind again," 

 although probably it is from the west, 

 and are unaware that the force of the 

 wind varies from minute to minute. The 

 knowledge which they lack is possessed 

 by anglers ; and that is why, having a 

 strange story to tell, I begin about the 

 weather. It is all -important. If the 

 wind is strong the boat drifts so quickly 

 that in playing one trout you pass over 



