The Fishing of Rivers with the Wet Fly 1 1 9 



repeat, that the whole aim of the fisherman 

 should be, to allow his flies to glide down 

 naturally, without the remotest circling or 

 trailing across; and, if this is properly done, 

 when a trout is lying a few inches under 

 the surface, he quietly sucks the fly in. 



He bolts, when he finds himself hooked, 

 by the action of the strong under-current. 



These places often " fished well," even 

 when no trout were breaking the surface 

 of that fine river ; but why, I have little or 

 no idea. 



The most desirable fishing is, when, from 

 the breadth and volume of the river, the 

 hang is one of considerable length and 

 width, and where the fall, into the stream 

 below, is very gradual, not abrupt. Then, 

 when a few flies begin to disport themselves 

 on the surface, we have the prospect of a 

 piece of the most charming fly-fishing 

 possible in any large river. In this con- 

 nection, I am only too glad to be able to 

 mention a case in point. The fisherman 

 was not, in this instance, E. M. Tod, but 

 a very old and dear friend of his. He 

 waded in below " the hing," and used only 

 one fly the stretcher a thing we all 

 do occasionally. The fly was Greenwell's 

 Glory, tied on tiny 00 double hooks, by 



