TROUT FLY-FISHING. 339 



deeper, casting close to, or under the pendent boughs, or in 

 the shade of the bushes or trees — drawing his flies diagonally 

 or directly across. It is not a bad plan when fish have risen 

 and refused one's flies, in such a pool, to sit patiently down 

 and change them for smaller ones of different colors, and after 

 a little while " try back," that is, fish from the lower to the 

 upper end. Different flies cast from another direction will 

 sometimes induce fish to " reconsider the motion," and adopt 

 your amendment if properly presented. 



When the season is well advanced — say July or August, 

 Trout will assemble in pairs or little communities in some 

 suitable place for spawning, and remain there if there is no 

 excessive rise in the stream, until it is time to spawn. This 

 is frequently beneath the overhanging alders ; there chuck 

 your flies under, if you cannot present them more civilly, 

 and if you take a good fish, try again, for the rest are likely 

 to be as hungry. If the sun be bright, use the Alder-fly on 

 such occasions, for either dropper or stretcher, or both. The 

 same kind of a shallow side-rift is a likely place early in June 

 when the Suckers congregate there to spawn, and the Trout 

 are on the lookout a few yards below, to catch their roe as it 

 is carried down stream by the current. 



Immediately below a mill-dam, if there be any depth of 

 water, is invariably a good place; but you should never 

 stand conspicuously above on what is called "the breast" of 

 the dam, or on a high rock ; such a position is to be con- 

 demned even in a bait-fisher ; but get below, and if there is 

 no way of fishing from the sides, go to the tail of the pool, 

 and cast upwards. This, if there be but little water coming 

 over the dam, is the best place to fish from. Trout will not 

 take the fly immediately under the fall or in the foam, but a 

 little below. 



In a deep still pool much exposed to the sun, if there is a 



