ON ANGLING. 147 



serve to push it away.) How many men, with 

 the Grayling's snout, lack the Grayling's instinct! 



— seeking, by means unsuited to their capa- 

 cities ; whereas, though they could never have 

 been shining lights in their generation, they 

 might have passed for very respectable jack- 

 o'-lanterns, had they but applied the fable of 

 the Frog and the Ox to their own cases. 

 With this knowledge — of the fish, not the men, 



— always draw your fly against the stream; 

 they cannot fail to see it ; and if they do not 

 take it, of course the fault must be either theirs 

 or Nature's. How can you help that ? 



A Trout rather advances to meet the fly, than 

 retreats from it, before his rise. It is therefore 

 obvious that you must throw plenty of line 

 over him; so that, when the fly does make 

 its tardy appearance, he shall have had ample 

 time to put on his spectacles, and to ascertain 

 the fact of something wrong. He then, very 

 quietly, wags his tail, and allows the curiosity 

 to go on its own way in peace. 



