The Republican journal., 1908-08-06
THE MAGENTA FLY.
HOW A PATIENT ANGLER STUDIED
A TROUT'S FAvORITE COLOR.

stream flowing between grassy banks
when the sunshine dissipates many OF
the lurking shadows, or under the trees
in the forest where the stream comes
tumbling into the head OF the pool IN
noisy little cascades only to 60 murmur-
ing and purling on among the rocks De-
low, where the cool shadows make
great splashes of brown across the
waters, over which tiny bubbles ana
patches of foam go circling and DRIFT
ing by. ,ou =.
tortuous course through cultivated
lands. where the capture of clubs no
longer than your finger calls whoops OF
excitement from the small boy, and
armed with Irvine line and pin-hook, but
in the real country and the real woods
where real trout are to be found and IN
places where real sport is to be had.
One can be very happy in spots ike
these.
AS you sit there dreaming have you
noticed? Of course you have the teem-
ing busy life of wood and stream.
EVERYTHING alive is moving, some fast.
some slowly, crawling, flying, SWIM
ming. excepting always the big trout ~
ing, ghost-like just under the high oanR
opposite.
The sunlight gets slant on its pol,
ished sides and the scales glow ana
gllsten like gold in the light.
1t makes your pulse quicken ana
your mouth water to see him as ne lays
as still as a shadow with only his side
fins waving gently in the moving cur
rent
1t is a big fellow, fat and plump,
contrast to the dozens or more smaller
ones to be seen nearer in, and all IN
ridiculous manner trying to duplicate
the dignity and severity of his hlghneSs
Just over the way.
That old fellow to my certain KNOW,
edge has inhabited this particular pool
ali summer. | know this fact to ny
disgust, as repeatedly | have sneaked
M with bated breath, many times on
hands and knees, but however careful
| NAV have sent my fly on over the
pool | had as yet found it Impossible
to tempt him from his serene contem-
pIation of things in general.
Whenever | peeped over the bank he
was always there in exactly the same
position, languidly waving his inns ana
intently watching me from his bright,
keen ewes. No fly for him, he was al
together too knowing to be fooled by
any Continuance of that sort.
Watching him | have wondered now
it is these old fellows manage to safely
struggle up from babyhood, always eS-
GAPING the manifold wiles of fishermen.
Usually it is simple matter to seem
ingly exhaust the fish supply OF a
series of pools, but, nevertheless, IN
some unaccountable way several al
WAYS manage to escape. They are al
WAYS the same fish and they live ana
grow simply to show, suppose, that it
can be done.
Again | wonder what they do eat and
when. They must exert themselves
sometimes; they can't always lay under
bank, fat and lazy without effort.
Oh, how that old fellow did tantalZe
me- He got onto my nerves with MS
perfect indifference and questioned If
ANYTHING under the canopy would IN
duce it to show an interest.
NV question was to be answered
sooner than l expected, for, us | sat
plarinp at him across the water big
gaudy insect, magenta III Color ana Oh d
variety [ never remember having seen
before came droning over the bank.
NV gentleman opposite had an eye on
if Immediately and as 1t settled near
the water like flash of light he darted
up and out, springing it seemed a foot
above the surface. As he turned, his
lower free laws closed over the bug
with a snap. 1t was minute at least
before quiet settled dowlf again upon
the pool as his escapade had set the
other fish crazy.
| felt like screaming with delight; he
wasn't after all quite above the temp
tations of life.
AS watched a second fly appeared
settling not quite so low as the othef
Again his lordship darted upward but
this fly was too quick and he missed IL
by an inch or two.
A look of disappointment came over
him as he moved back into the old po-
sition.
All this sat me thinking. | surely
wanted that old fellow and l wanted
him badly Throughout the season he
had fooled me continuously, but now
thought saw chance to get IN ahead
of him.
| crossed the stream we'll down out
of sight to the opposite bank. The flies
seemed to come from that direction.
Hunting about | saw several but they
eluded me, although | did my best to
secure one, and | only desisted when
convinced further effort was useless. L
then crossed back to my former position
and again hunted my fly book through
for something when mlgnC answer my
purpose. l hated to give up that trout
Just as | had at least a fighting chance
to secure it,
Not only was | anxious to catch the
fish for my own satisfaction, but also
had pride in the matter.
For the past month several young
sters had been playing truant, many
times | fear, for the purpose of secur-
ing this same fish, but however succu-
lent their bait of worms, or however
patiently their angling, the fish had as
successfully unheeded their endeavors
as my own, although one of the boys
boasted of one sharp rise from the
trout, hence my anxiety to be the first
to get hook into it.
1t was hot, sultry day with not a
breath of wind stirring, one of those
summer afternoons when the least ex-
ertion bathes you in flood of perspir-
alton So, on sitting down | removed
my hat and throwing it on the ground
beside me mopped my steaming brow
with my handkerchief.
What was to be done? Hopelessly L
gazed about me. My hat had fallen
with the opening up and as | glanced
into it | came onto my feet with a
Jump, an inspiration had struck me, the
satin lining was exactly the color of