FLY FISHING FOR TROUT 27 



quickness of the angler but little of the water below 

 where the fish was taken has been spoiled. 



Fishing is a sport best pursued alone ; though at 

 lunch, or after the day is over, no one is less inclined 

 for solitude, or more desirous of the company of his 

 fellow-creatures than is a fisherman. This, however, 

 is neither lunch nor dinner time, so we will betake 

 ourselves and our observations elsewhere, leaving 

 behind us every piscatorial good wish. 



Such are the methods usually adopted when fly 

 fishing for trout in English rivers. To recapitulate 

 them, they are, broadly speaking : (i) fishing up-stream 

 with the dry fly; (2) fishing down-stream with a 

 wholly or partially sunk fly. 



Naturally there are many exceptions to these 

 general rules. Take, for example, a Derbyshire or 

 North-country river in early spring-time, when there is 

 plenty of water, and trout are rising boldly and hungrily. 

 On a favourable day it is well worth the angler's while 

 to put on a couple of flies instead of one only, and to 

 fish either up or down stream as seems best to him. 

 It would be folly on such an occasion to be tied by 

 any hard-and-fast rule condemning one to use only a 

 single fly or to fish solely up-stream. 



There are two conditions of mind or body which 

 often affect trout, to which I have, as yet, made no 



