44 A FASCINATING MANCEUVRE. 



collapsed, fibres, seize it securely within the jaws, 

 and then turn off downwards with the intention 

 evidently of swallowing it at leisure after having 

 dived into its subaqueous lodging. This experi- 

 ment I have caused others to perform, and I have 

 performed it myself over and over again, and with 

 results sufficiently invariable to make me con- 

 demn the rapid working of the fly through the 

 water, and approve of moderately gentle working. 

 The following pretty manoeuvre I have seen 

 performed, and did it myself before I ever saw it 

 done. I have seen a fish rise at something on the 

 water, most probably a small insect, or some 

 minute particle of some sort of food, or of some- 

 thing having the appearance of food, and I have seen 

 the angler throw his fly beyond the fish, and then 

 work it over him and before his eyes to the best 

 of the angler's calculation. I have seen the fish 

 sluggishly follow the fly, as if making " I dare 

 not wait upon I would," and I have seen the 

 angler, observing the motion of the fish as I did, 

 stop the onward progress of the fly by lowering 

 a little the point of the rod, and all the fibres of 

 the fly being opened, and its progress onwards 

 being arrested, and a very slight motion down- 

 wards towards the hesitating salmon having been 

 given, by a momentary short relaxing of the line. 



