ST. BOS WELLS. 221 



contends that he does not find this to be the case, and 

 that his mode is the most deadly in his experience. His 

 reason is that the point or tail-fly being the most impor- 

 tant and most deadly, falls upon the water by his method 

 in the softest possible way. There is certainly truth 

 here. The point-hook is generally (though by no means 

 invariably) the most attractive, because, being attached 

 to the line, on only one side, it is less artificial-looking 

 than the others. If I find that the trout are taking a fly 

 whose position on the cast is first or second dropper, 

 and neglecting the point-fly, I change the latter for one 

 of those which seems more attractive ; as I find that the 

 chances of landing fish on this hook are much greater 

 than upon any of the others. The reason of this is not 

 far to seek. If the angler is fishing with three or four flies 

 on his cast, and "hooks a fish of trifling size on the highest 

 dropper, well and good — he can lightly toss it out. 



"But should he hue 

 From his dark hnunt, beneath the tangled roots 

 Of pendent trees, the monarch of the brook, 

 Behoves him then to ply his finest art." 



And truly a very fine art it will then become ; for, with six 

 or more feet of gut dangling at the rear of his fish — the 

 loose hooks upon which, by a strange and inexplicable 

 principle of contrariety, seem immediately to awaken to 

 the necessity of fastening upon something, and fasten 

 accordingly — it is a thousand to one the angler loses both 

 his fish and his flies. While admitting the prime 

 importance of dropping the point fly lightly upon the 

 water, I still adhere to my preconceived notion of placing 



