PRELIMINARY NOTES 37 



right shoulder, and by reeling in too short the 

 trout could not be brought within reach. It 

 takes a sufficiency of line to do the last, as anyone 

 can see for themselves by practising at a ball 

 placed on dead water within reach of the net. In 

 brooks I have constantly been obliged to let out 

 line for this operation. For the rest, every angler 

 knows, or ought to know, that the net must be 

 held steady, with half the ring submerged, till the 

 head and shoulders of the fish are over it. The 

 net is then promptly lifted, but without undue 

 haste. It is an adagio movement. A trout is 

 sure to be scared by having the net thrust at it, 

 and will often escape in a final struggle if caution 

 and coolness are not exercised. Another piece 

 of advice commonly given is to bring a hooked 

 trout downstream, as quickly as possible, to drown 

 it. It is quite necessary to bring it down to avoid 

 alarming others in unfished water above, but the 

 drowning process is ten times more certain when, 

 having got your fish below you, you drag it to net 

 against the current. Nothing paralyses a hooked 

 trout more, always provided that its open mouth 

 is kept just over the surface. But, taking the 

 current into consideration, this could not be 

 attempted with a large fish. In brooks, especially, 

 many trout will be hooked below the angler who 



