28 THE BOEDER ANGLER. 



trout were more easily caught than now, from there 

 being fewer anglers to make them practically ac- 

 quainted with the difference between a real and a false 

 fly. It has been becoming yearly more and more 

 difficult to get a basket of fish out of streams which 

 run clear as crystal during almost the whole angling 

 season. Mr. Stewart has therefore stepped in most 

 opportunely with a way of getting over this. He 

 recognises as the fii'st principle in angling, the con- 

 cealment of the angler and of his tackle. " Surely in 

 vain is the net spread in sight of the bird," saith the 

 Scripture ; and surely in vain do you angle, says the 

 Practical Angler^ if the fish sees you, your rod, or your 

 line. But how to prevent this — when the waters are 

 clear and a Iklay sun shining into them, if you have to 

 present yourself on the bank before the trout's very 

 nose ? There is indeed no way but this : you must 

 get behind the trout. Owing to his anatomical con- 

 struction, a trout never looks over his shoulder. He 

 lies with his head up the stream, and notes most accu- 

 rately anything that floats past him in the water, or 

 any apparition that is exhibited on the bank above or 

 opposite to him. But if you stand a little below, and 

 not — if you are a six-footer — too much above his level, 

 the chances are that he does not perceive you. In 

 this position you can throw your fly above him, so that 

 he can catch it, as he does that of which it is " the 

 counterfeit presentment," as it comes down — with the 

 secondary result of your catching him. A repetition 

 of the process fills your creel. It is not to be under- 

 stood from this, however, that the cast is always to be 

 made straight up stream. By a straight-up cast the 



