The Fishing of Rivers with the Wet Fly 73 



thus includes all eager to benefit, in how- 

 ever small a degree, by the experience and 

 observation of others. Never was any one 

 more ready to take a " tip " from a good 

 practical fisherman than the present writer. 



Since there must be and is a difference 

 in one's respective methods, when fishing 

 any average Scottish river when full, and 

 when somewhat low, in what things does 

 the difference consist ? 



I prefer to start by assuming that 

 the river of our imagination is somewhat 

 low. Now, why do I use this qualifying 

 word " somewhat/' and not simply say, is 

 low ? For this reason : When a river such 

 as the Tweed, Teviot, Don, Deveron, and 

 so on, is dead low, as during a long drought, 

 a very 'great and sad change takes place. 

 The streams get choked by vegetable 

 growths, and the stones covered by green 

 slime. Any pollution is intensified, and 

 when you are wading (the last time I fished 

 the Teviot this was the case) large masses of 

 submerged abomination get detached from 

 the bottom, and rise to the surface, a spec- 

 tacle to howl at. Trout, I fancy, must 

 sicken; anyhow, between sickening, and 

 bottom-feeding on the creeper, caddis, 

 fresh-water shrimp, etc., fly-fishing is 



