852 MANUAL OF MODERN FARRIERY. 



dantly in placid parts of the river. It is unnecessary to 

 remind him that he must inform himself what sorts of fish 

 it produces, and to be suitably prepared, so as not to be 

 abridged in his sport for want of a supply of the requisites 

 to prosecute it, through his own forgetfulness. 



If the angler, especially when fishing with the natural fly, 

 opens the first fish he catches, and sees what it has in its 

 stomach, which extends from the gills to the small guts, he 

 will perceive the food the fish last swallowed, and can use 

 the artificial fly or bait accordingly. 



The following rules and cautions are necessary for all 

 sportsmen to know : — 



1. When a fish is hooked never permit him to run out 

 with the line ; the rod should be kept bent, and as nearly 

 perpendicular as possible, as by attention to this the top plies 

 to every pull he makes, and prevents straining the line for 

 the same reason. 



2. A large fish should never be raised out of the water by 

 taking the hair to which the hook is fastened into the hand, 

 nor, indeed, any part of the line : the landing-net should be 

 placed under him, or if that is not at hand a hat may be 

 used. In fly-fishing, the line may be laid gentle hold of to 

 draw the fish towards the side ; but great caution is ne- 

 cessary. 



3. Let the fly fall first upon the surface of the w^ater and 

 not the line, as this will frighten the fish. The angler should 

 always fish down the river, vrith the sun in his face, and the 

 wind on his back, and keep as far from the water's side 

 as possible, so that the line may be conveniently throv» n ; 

 because fish can see any one on the bank when they little 

 suppose so, and even at a considerable distance from it ; be- 

 cause, by the refractive pov/er of water (which any one may 

 satisfy himself of by placing a shilling in a basin, and pour- 



