130 THROWING UNDER TREES. 



If this fail, I use one or other of my instruments. 

 Remember you should never attempt to disengage 

 the fly by " striking" with the rod. Having 

 digressed thus far and " hung you up,'* I had 

 better give you all the advice I can to release 

 your line from the tree, and yourself from the 

 subject. It frequently happens that in raising 

 the fly and line off the waters, or casting towards 

 them, some spiteful detestable gale carries the 

 one into the lower and the other into the upper 

 part of a large bush ; so that a double entangle- 

 ment takes place. " Agitation" becomes impos- 

 sible, and cutting away the branch where the 

 hook attaches alone, comparatively useless, from 

 the difficulty of releasing the other parts of the 

 line. Here, either by the " angler's friend," or 

 by the pocket hatchet, you must first cut the 

 branch where the hook is ; and if the fly continue 

 still attached thereto, then get hold of the branch 

 somehow or other, either by the " angler's friend," 

 by your gaff hook, or by cutting another, a 

 hooked sticked. If the fly detaches itself from 

 its first lodgment and floats afar off in the air, 

 before you proceed to anything else, cut a long 

 stick, leaving a few twigs about its upper end ; 

 with this reach the fly, and, twisting it about, 

 entangle the fly in the stick, so as to be able to 

 draw the fly towards you, meanwhile leaving the 

 line sufficiently loose from the end of the rod for 



