FOREST, LJKE, AND RIVER 



fish. Little fellows are heedless, and the more 

 bungling the cast, the more readily they rise for 

 it. My explanation is this, — the unusual splash 

 attracts them, but it frightens the older and more 

 wary trout, who know a real fly does n't light 

 on the water with any such blast of trumpets. 

 I have seen two men fishing from the same boat, 

 on practically the same ground, changing posi- 

 tions from time to time, and one took fish weigh- 

 ing four to the pound, and the other's catches 

 ranged from half a pound to a pound and a 

 half. Why ? Simply because one man was 

 thrashing the water, and the other's flies were 

 alighting as soft as air. Positively no other 

 reason. 



I have seen a man fish a pool in vain at a 

 distance of ten yards, and then seen the same 

 fisherman try his luck with sixty-five feet of 

 line, and pull out good ones at every cast. Why ? 

 Simply because in the first case he was too near 

 the pool. 



Trout in quick water will often refuse to take 

 a fly moving up stream, but will jump for it 

 eagerly when it floats down past their retreat on 

 the current in a natural way. Early in the spring, 

 flies should be trailed at a depth of two inches 

 under water, later, on the surface, simply because 



260 



