44 



THE SALMON 



made. The feathers and general aspect of the fly 

 remain the same, and give you a false feeling of 

 security. Then, when one or more good fish have 

 risen, and you have just felt them without their taking 

 hold, and at last you make the examination you ought 

 not to have delayed so long, all Walton's advice to 

 anglers, ' to be patient and forbear swearing, lest they 

 be heard and catch no fish,' is apt to be thrown away 

 upon you. 



After the cast comes the working the fly. As to 

 this it is difficult to lay down any definite rules, so 

 much depends upon the nature of the water, whether 

 still, rough, or rapid, and on the conditions as to 

 wind and depth. As a rule, it is a mistake to cast a 

 long line when the fish are lying near the side from 

 which you are fishing, but if the stream is very rapid 

 it is necessary to have a fair length out, or your fly 

 will dance about too near the surface of the water. A 

 series of slight lifts of the point of the rod should, of 

 course, impart to the 'fly' that lifelike appearance 

 caused by the opening and shutting of the feathers as 

 it dances up and falls down the stream; but the 

 action should be varied, as a skilled bowler alters his 

 pace to overcome the resistance of an obstinate bat. 

 Generally speaking, the line should be jerked up and 

 down more in still water than in rapid ; and you 



