156 STRIKING. 



remember that Izaac himself was once as clumsy. 

 Take for your motto " perseverance," act upon 

 it, and you must and will succeed. 



But why that shout? O, a skip-jack hopped 

 over your line, and you thought it was a salmon. 

 Well, well, your excitement augurs much, it 

 proves that you take an interest in the sport, and, 

 in that case, my best rod against a farthing eel 

 hook that your improvement will be rapid. * 



There ! you had a fine rise without seeing it. 

 Marry, you must have your eyes about you, and 

 they must be as sharp as a Basilisk's, or you will 

 never shine as a fly -fisher. An adept in the 

 sport would have struck that fish, and thereby, 

 probably, secured him. Striking is an art which 

 you must spare no pains to acquire. It is per- 

 formed by raising the point of the rod suddenly 

 but gently up, by a rapid but slight motion of 

 the wrist; and it must be done on the instant 

 that the fish rises at your fly. The object is to 

 fix the hook before the fish has time to eject it from 

 its mouth, which, on discovering the deception, it 

 instantly endeavours to do, if not already hooked. 

 Never forget to strike quickly and gently, 

 without the slightest approach to violence, for 

 the mere tightening of the line will be sufficient 



