52 TROUT-FISHING IN BROOKS 



and as with dry fly, slack is taken in as the flies 

 come down towards the angler for the same 

 reasons. Moreover, as the strike is made down, 

 the hook is driven into instead of being pulled 

 out of the trout's mouth as so constantly happens 

 in fishing downstream, from the unvarying posi- 

 tion of trout hi the water. The strike should be 

 made : (i) on the touch of a fish ; (2) when a 

 fish breaks the water over where the flies are 

 travelling ; and (3) whenever the line suddenly 

 straightens out, which almost certainly means 

 that a fly is seized, even though no touch is felt. 

 In casting downstream, striking is not only 

 unnecessary, but injudicious, since the fish hook 

 themselves if hooked at all. It is sufficient to 

 raise the rod and just tighten the line. By the 

 way, striking, like casting, is a matter for the 

 wrist, never the arm. It is a prompt, decisive, 

 but not violent action, for if too hard a broken 

 cast, a lost fish and unmentionable words surely 

 result. As in dry-fly work, a particular rising fish 

 can be specially cast for in the same way, the only 

 difference being that the fly is slightly under 

 water. Nor is this always a disadvantage ; there 

 are occasions when the wet fly is preferably 

 taken. Also, as before mentioned, the tail fly 

 may be lightly cast with good result on a bank or 



