The Fishing of Waters with the Wet Fly 29 



waving hither and thither, above, in front, 

 and behind the angler, as he wades, rod in 

 hand, up the water, casting as he goes. 



It is easy to say, "He is a duffer if he 

 finds trees trouble him seriously." 



What, my friend ! even if he never saw 

 till now, a tree or bush worth speaking of, 

 on the waters he is familiar with ? 



If the angler's only, or even chief aim, 

 was to avoid trees and bushes, I quite see the 

 force of the remark. If, however, he is put 

 on his mettle ; as, for instance, when fishing 

 a friendly match with an old friend who is 

 well used to woodland waters, he would 

 have something else to think of. In fact, 

 he would have to exert all his energies and 

 wits towards the making up of a presentable 

 basket of trout; and in the haste to get 

 rich (in trout) a man is very apt to be off 

 his guard, as when he sees a good trout 

 rising in front of him : and he will get his 

 fly into a branch or twig behind him, ere he 

 knows of its existence. 



In a calm day it is easier. 



I repeat that there are waters and waters. 

 Take yet another case. How different are 

 the methods by which the sluggish canal-like 

 part of any Scottish "water" is attacked 

 by the expert ; especially where neither 



