DAPPING 97 



angler, who can present his lure as if it fell naturally 

 from the foliage. There are sure to be places 

 of this sort, especially during the low summer level. 

 The dapper cannot lie too low nor keep too 

 motionless. He drops in his lure with a very 

 short line, scarcely more than the gut, allows it to 

 sink a foot or so, and then holds steady. The 

 top of the rod will be vertically over the bait. If 

 there is no response very soon the dap may be 

 drawn up a few inches and again sunk. The 

 first intimation of a bite will most likely be a 

 gentle nick, or twitch. I should advise keeping 

 unmoved until a second twitch is felt, and then 

 striking sharply. But if the gut is observed 

 sailing away, strike at once, as the trout will then 

 have the bait fairly in its mouth. Where the 

 water is deep at the near bank it would be well 

 to try there first. The only sort of casting at 

 tunes expedient is to put the dap farther out, or 

 across, and this is done with the same underhand 

 swing as in worming. Trout seem always 

 especially indignant when hooked on natural 

 flies, and kick up such a fuss that it is of no use 

 trying the same spot again for some little tune. 

 In addition to dead water, the very slow eddies 

 and deepish pools may be tried, in which case the 

 rod follows the bait (cast upstream) as it moves 



