90 



Playing a Fish : When you have hooked* 

 a fish, you may tell by his motions whether you 

 have hooked him firmly or not. If hooked 

 firmly he will rarely, unless you force him to it, 

 put forth his struggles on the surface of the 

 water, but will dart downwards, if he be allow- 

 ed, and make his strongest efforts to get away 

 in mid-water or nearer to the bottom. If 

 slightly hooked, his tumbling to get free will be 

 performed on the top of the water : you must 

 calculate your mode of playing him according 



* " In striking a fish that rises at the fly, some skill is 

 required not to lose the fish or break the line, and this 

 must be regulated by what appears to be the size of the 

 fish ; for if small, it may be at once swung out on the 

 bank, which is the most successful way in par-fishing; 

 while the attempt to do this with the trout, of any size, 

 would be vain. When a fish, on being hooked, descends 

 beneath the surface, and struggles below in the deep 

 water,t it may be safely inferred, that he is securely 

 hooked ; whereas, when he flounders on the surface, and 

 tries to leap out of the water, the hook is seldom very 

 deep. With larger trout, the rod should be kept bent, so 

 as to prevent him from running to the end of the line. 

 The strength of the line or rod should never be trusted to, 

 without the assistance of a landing-net. When the angler 

 is in the midst of the stream, if from the moment the 

 trout is struck, it is prevented from re-descending in such 

 a manner, that the upper part of its head and eyes are 

 retained above, or on a level with the surface, it will, for 

 the space of a good many seconds, be so much astonished, 

 as to be incapable of any active exertions, and will fre- 

 quently allow itself to be drawn in that position, and 

 without resistance, straight ashore." Professor Rennie. 



+ This is also a sign that the fish is a large one. 



