SPRING FISHING. 173 



and of the atmosphere ; and, moreover, it forms, 

 when dressed properly, a more exact and insect- 

 like imitation of the natural fly than many of 

 the productions in which nature is poetically 

 said 



" To live again in art." 



You will find that in the beginning of February 

 the trout generally haunt the deep and still parts 

 of the river,, to fish which a breeze is necessary ; 

 but that in open weather they will, even at that 

 early period, begin to feed in the tails of stickles, 

 and in the gravelly shallows, advancing gradually 

 upwards as the summer approaches. Whatever 

 the season, you should never omit taking advan- 

 tage of a windy day, when the surface of the 

 water is ruffled, to fish the deep parts of the 

 river, the ranges, as they are piscatorially de- 

 nominated. These you should fish slowly and 

 carefully, upwards or downwards as the wind 

 may render more convenient, making your first 

 cast under the bank on which you stand, the next 

 towards the middle of the stream, and so on, cast 

 after cast, towards the other side, taking care to 

 place yourself, whenever practicable, opposite to 

 a higher bank than that on which you stand, in 

 order to be less in the view of your watchful and 



