ANGLING. 



that if the end of the line doubles back too quickly 

 and at a sharp angle, it cracks like a whip, and 

 the hooks are snapped off. The forward motion 

 of the rod is at first more rapid than the backward, 

 but it should be gradually arrested at an angle of 

 about 45, so that the line may stretch out at full 

 length in the air, and then fall gently with its own 

 weight on the water. The flies should fall first, 

 and as little more of the line as possible should 

 touch the water. To be able to let the flies drop 

 lightly like natural flies, and at the precise point 

 known to the skilled angler only where the trout 

 is feeding, is half the art. 



As soon as a trout rises, he should be struck, 

 but very gently ; for no sooner has he closed his 

 mouth on the fly, than he discovers the deception, 

 and drops it ; and unless the angler, by a pull of 

 the line, runs the hook into his jaws, he is free. 

 Hence the importance of a keen eye to detect the 

 slightest movement in the water, and a tight line 

 which answers at once to the slightest impulse of 

 the rod. It is vain to strike after you have felt a 

 trout, or seen the break on the surface of the 

 water, caused by his turning to go down. 



Down or up Stream ? Fishing up stream has 

 decided advantages over the opposite practice. 

 The chief is, that the angler is unseen by the trout, 

 which always lie with their head up stream in 

 fact, cannot lie otherwise. Another advantage is, 

 that the unfished ground is less disturbed when a 

 fish is hooked, as the angler can more easily pre- 

 vent it from running upwards than he can from 

 coming downward. Besides all this, the flies when 

 cast up float down with the current in the natural 

 way that a drowned fly does ; and this is the only 

 thing they can resemble. It is only at the instant 

 they drop into the water that they can be taken 

 for a live fly, and so far as that goes, fishing down 

 is on a par with fishing up. When a strong wind 

 or other cause makes casting up stream impossible, 

 cast across and rather up, and allow the hooks to 

 float straight down for some way ; they are far 

 more deadly thus than when sweeping across the 

 stream. 



The golden rule in angling to neglect which is 

 to render all other skill nugatory is, to avoid being 

 seen by the fish ; hence the angler should keep as 

 far as possible from the water he is fishing, and 

 also at a low level. At a certain low angle, rays 

 of light can neither enter nor issue from the sur- 

 face of water. Looking straight down into water, 

 or at a moderately high angle, you can see the 

 stones at the bottom, and in such a position a trout 

 sees you ; but bring your head down to near the 

 level, and you see only a glittering surface, and you 

 are equally unseen to eyes within the water. The 

 higher, you stand the wider is the range of seeing 

 and being seen. One advantage of wading, over 

 fishing from the bank, is the lower level of the 

 angler's body. Some enthusiasts in the art, in 

 clear weather, approach a stream crawling, and 

 fish in a prostrate position. 



Trout-fishing with Worm. Worm-fishing used 

 to be looked down upon as fit only for school- 

 boys ; but as practised in midsummer, when the 

 waters are small and clear, it requires an amount 

 of art and skill second only to fly-fishing. The 

 best arrangement of hooks is Stewart's tackle, con- 

 sisting of three or four small hooks tied to one 

 piece of gut, as represented in the figure. A bright, 

 clear worm, of rather small size from two to three 



U 



inches long, and of the thickness of a hen's quill 

 is the best. Two or three feet of fine gut should 

 intervene between the hooks and the stronger pan 

 of the casting-line. A longer rod is necessary 

 than in fly-fishing, because, it being impossible to 

 manage a long line properly, additional length of 

 rod is required to keep 

 the angler out of sight 

 of the fish. Fishing up 

 stream is even more im- 

 portant with worm than 

 with fly. In casting, the 

 motion is slower than 

 with the fly, in order not 

 to tear off the worm. The 

 art consists in throwing 

 up stream, and making 

 the bait drop gently and 

 with precision a few inches 

 above a particular spot 

 where you suspect a trout Fig. & 



to lie. No more line 



should be in the water than is necessary to let the 

 worm float down without interference with its 

 natural motion. In using Stewart's tackle, it is 

 best to strike a few seconds after perceiving that 

 the line is arrested in its downward motion ; 

 with the ordinary single hook, a little time 

 should be given, as the trout may have hold of 

 the worm quite clear of the point of the hook. 

 It is only in strong currents or deep water that 

 shot or other kind of sinker is necessary. 



The best months for worm-fishing are June and 

 July ; and, as a rule, trout take best in the early 

 part of the day. But in this respect they are most 

 capricious ; after taking freely for a time, they will 

 suddenly disappear, and no more be seen for an 

 hour or two perhaps for the rest of the day. It 

 is in the streams and at the heads of pools, that 

 trout are mostly to be found. At certain times, 

 they frequent the shallow runs where there is 

 barely water to cover them. The angler soon 

 discovers whether they are in the shallows or in 

 the deeper streams. When there is a breeze of 

 wind, even the still parts of a pool may be fished 

 with worm. 



Worm-fishing in flooded waters is altogether 

 different from worm-fishing in clear water. It is 

 successful at all times during the angling season. 

 Instead of the streams, the trout are to be sought 

 for in shallow sides of pools, the thin water at the 

 tails of streams, and in the eddies of streams near 

 the edge. It is not a very enticing kind of sport. 

 Fine tackle is of less consequence than in clear- 

 water fishing. 



Lake or Loch Fishing is pursued either from 

 the shore or from a boat, and mostly with artificial 

 flies. The flies are usually larger and gaudier 

 than for stream-fishing ; but with little wind and 

 clear water, small river-flics arc preferable. When 

 a boat is used, it is allowed to drift, broadside 

 on, with the wind, ami the line is cast to lee- 

 wards, and straight out from bow and stern. Two 

 persons usually fish from one boat Sometimes, 

 when the fish will not rise to the fly when cast, they 

 may be taken by trailing, or trolling, as it is called 

 in Scotland. This consists in rowing the boat 

 at a slow pace, and allowing the flies to drag 

 behind at 40 to 80 yards' distance. Instead of 

 flies, the artificial minnow is much used in trail- 

 ing. Of this lure there are several kinds, the 



