HIS MAJESTY THE BROOK TROUT 69 

 LOT DEPENDS ON ROD WORK 



The sport begins with a rush right after you hook 

 your fish, and you sure have to work your gray mat- 

 ter before you can creel a trout. He seems to know 

 every rift, rooted hold, snag or windfall in the 

 stream, and you've got to keep your mind on the 

 game to keep him from reaching cover, which means 

 a lost fish and a snagged line. Let your rod do most 

 of the work that's what a good fly rod is for 

 keep your line tight, and at no time give any slack, 

 as the trout may not be securely hooked and a slack 

 line gives him a chance to cough out the fly. You 

 will find the trout is more quickly landed if worked 

 downstream, especially with a large fish, as the cur- 

 rent is in your favor. Keep the rod well up and the 

 line shortened, as a short line gives better control 

 over the fish, and you need every extra bit of ad- 

 vantage, because the sole object of the trout is to 

 'get away, and at that game he is some little getter. 



FISH UP AND DOWN STREAM 



If you are fishing a slow-running stream it is best 

 to fish upstream, and on swift-running streams fish 

 down, making it a point to walk around pools and 

 fish them from the lower end up to the head. In 

 fishing upstream the fly comes quickly down with the 

 current; this can be slowed up by casting diagonally 

 up and across. In fishing a riffles or broken water 



