238 SALMON AND TROUT. 



this system that my not doing so was the cause of my want of 

 success. They may be right, but I cannot agree with them, and 

 I am convinced that striking a fish, in any form, is a mistake. 



Many fishermen advocate striking with the line held tight ; 

 this is accomplished by a sudden upward jerk of the point of 

 the rod the moment the fish is seen to rise, or that it is felt that 

 he has taken the fly -, this is in my opinion the worst possible 

 method, and a very risky one, although it is the one generally 

 adopted. I think the habit has been acquired in consequence 

 of the majority of salmon fishermen having fished for trout in 

 their younger days, before they were allowed to handle a salmon 

 rod. Fishing for trout and grayling and fishing for salmon 

 are two very different arts ; the former are far quicker than a 

 salmon in their action when rising to a fly, and require great 

 dexterity to hook them, but even they do not require to be 

 what is called ' struck ' at in the sense that is meant in striking 

 a salmon ; and a slight turn of the wrist, which may be called a 

 strike if it pleases anyone to do so, is all that is required to fix 

 the barb of a trout fly. If the rod was suddenly jerked up, as 

 when striking a salmon, the chances are, with a heavy trout, the 

 casting line would break, and perhaps the rod into the bargain 

 I am inclined to the belief that striking from the winch would 

 suit trout fishing better than salmon fishing. The evil arising 

 from striking at a rising fish with the line held tight, is that 

 there is great risk, owing to the sudden jerk of the rod, of 

 either smashing the top or leaving the fly in the fish's mouth, or 

 should the fly be suddenly snatched away from him in the act 

 of rising, the disappointment would most likely scare him to 

 such a degree that he would not rise a second time. I have 

 been told that it is necessary to strike at a salmon in order to 

 prevent him from ejecting the fly ; I have already stated my 

 opinion regarding the power of a salmon of ejecting his food. 

 It is only natural he should do so on finding that it was not 

 natural food, but I have myself seen many salmon come at my 

 fly with open mouth, and in such cases striking at him would be 

 most likely to defeat the object in view, and the chances of 



