TROUT FISHING. 161 



bob fly a few inches below the middle ; or, if in a 

 very weedy river, within little more than a yard of 

 the other; lest, while playing a fish with the bob, 

 your tail fly may get caught in a weed. More gut 

 than is here prescribed will be found an incumbrance 

 when you want to get a fish up tight ; insomuch, 

 that, of the two, I would rather have a little less than 

 more of it. 



A small fly-book may, of course, be taken ; and I 

 should recommend it on my plan, which is of Russia- 

 leather, in order to repel the moth. This no one 

 will do better for you than Chevalier. A common 

 bearer hat is the best thing to hook, and keep flies 

 on ; and, if you have not two rods by the river side, 

 always keep a gut length and flies ready to put on, 

 round your hat, in order to avoid the waste of time 

 and torment which you would have, if you had much 

 entangled your line. 



The beauty of fishing is to do the business quick 

 (though not in a hurry), because this sport is every 

 moment dependent on the weather. Walton says, 

 " before using, soak what lengths you have in water 

 for half an hour" In the new school, I should 

 rather say, draw what lengths you want through 

 Indian rubber for half a quarter of a minute. Let 

 a gut-length or two (ready fitted up with flies), and 

 also a few spare tail flies be thus prepared to go on 

 in an instant, and put round your hat. For flies (as 

 Barker observes for his night angling) take white 



M 



