TROUT FLY-FISHING. 335 



Striking and Killing a Fish. Striking. — Various direc- 

 tions have been given about striking a fish when it rises at 

 the fly. Some maintain that it is unnecessary, or even wrong, 

 to strike at all, if the line is kept taut. Others say that you 

 should strike as soon as you see the fish or the swirl he 

 makes as he turns to go back. Either is wrong, if adopted 

 as a rule without exceptions. 



In most cases when Trout rise freely, and are in earnest, 

 they will hook themselves, for the yielding of a pliant rod, 

 as a fish takes the fly, allows him to bear off his prize ; but 

 when he attempts to cast it from his mouth, the spring of the 

 rod fixes the hook in his mouth, as he relaxes his hold. So 

 it frequently happens that the rise is seen and the strain on 

 the rod is felt at the same moment. A fish may even miss 

 the fly, and make another effort to seize it, if not drawn away 

 too hastily. When a fish, therefore, takes the fly vigorously, 

 it is only necessary to keep the line taut. A mere turn of 

 the wrist may be given to fix the hook more firmly in his 

 mouth. 



On the contrary, when the water is subsiding after a freshet, 

 and the fish have been feeding on worms and insects which 

 have been washed in, they will frequently tug at your 

 stretcher, taking it for such food. Then it is necessary to 

 strike sharply, I have sometimes fished all day in this way, 

 allowing the stretcher (generally a red hackle) to sink a little, 

 and trolling as with a bait, and striking when I felt a bite. 

 Again, on warm days, when Trout lie beneath the shade of 

 trees which stretch their branches over deep still pools, they 

 will rise almost without ruffling the surface, or softly arrest 

 the stretcher beneath, as if to ascertain if it is really some- 

 thing to eat ; then a slight but quick stroke is necessary to 

 secure the fish before he casts it from his mouth. 



Killing a Fish. — Many Trout are lost by the beginner. 



