A day like this

6 May 1944, TH WHITE writes to David Garnett: 'Why do people write such a lot of cock about fishing? A factual story would go like this. On Monday you notice a really big trout rising on the river. On Tuesday he is still rising, but it is blowing a gale and you can't cast. On Wednesday you go again, crawl 20 yards through cow dung, and hook him beautifully. It comes away immediately, and on packing up, you notice the point was off. On Thursday it is still as death and glaring sunshine, so it is no good. On Friday you hover on the bank waiting for a good hatch which does not come. You spend the whole Saturday in a blizzard. On Sunday you go down, but the wind is across you. You have devoted 56 hours to this trout and go home to tea in a passion. At 7.30 a friend knocks on the door. He has merely strolled up the river, noticed the fish half an hour later after you left and hooked him at first cast. You admire the trout, get rid of the man, go upstairs and strangle yourself with a fishing line.'