118 THE WONDERFUL TROUT 



by a slight examination of such trout as may 

 vary their method of feeding, and be caught 

 by an artificial fly at such times. 



Trout taking in a hailstorm. This may 

 arise, as we have already said, simply 

 because of the drowned fly, or it may be 

 caused by change from sultry weather and 

 tepid water, reoxygenated by the pattering 

 of the hail or rain-shower. 



Trout not taking before rain. Unless 

 before the rain there are electrical conditions 

 of the atmosphere, we do not place entire 

 confidence in this old saw. If the water be 

 otherways oxygenated, as by rapid streams, 

 or broken water, or under a fall, trout often 

 take well before rain-showers. If the weather 

 be setting down for a regular wet day, then 

 trout may not do well before it commences, 

 but when this occurs, say in June or July, as a 

 rule there are electric and barometric causes 

 combined. Sometimes, we have certainly 

 noticed, before heavy rain a smaller class 

 of trout come on the feed ; or otherwise we 

 catch ill-conditioned fish. This, as we have 

 tried to explain before, seems to us a sure 

 indication that the average or larger and best- 

 conditioned trout are down, and the younger, 



