FLY FISHING FOR TROUT AND GRAYLING. 299 



that are said to break the casting line are in fact lost by the 

 eager violence of the striker, acting upon dry or ill-tied knots. 

 I could say more on this subject did space permit. Thus 

 much, however, as a parting precept. Never be in a hurry, 

 especially when you see a good fish rise. Take your time, as 

 he will take his, and the result will not disappoint you. 



Our fish is now hooked, and the next question is how to 

 deal with him. Some of our angling friends call this * working 

 a fish,' some ' playing ' the former term, perhaps, having an 

 objective, the other a subjective reference. Nevertheless, 

 Halieus must sometimes work very hard, or Salmo will have 

 the play all to himself. Two general principles may be laid 

 down : first, the strain kept up on the fish should be the 

 greatest attainable without overtaxing the strength of the tackle 

 which should be a known quantity or the hold of the hook, 

 which the most experienced angler cannot always calculate 

 accurately ; secondly, the direction of the butt should never 

 make an obtuse angle with the line in most cases a decidedly 

 acute one. As for ' showing a fish the butt,' it is very desirable 

 in general. But if you do so when fishing with a single-handed 

 trout rod in a deep stream with hollow banks, you only aid 

 that inward rush of your fish which is but too likely to wreck 

 your tackle. Never bring your fish to the surface till he is 

 quite spent ; he may break the hold, if not heavy enough to 

 break your tackle. Don't go trouting without a landing net, 

 whatever certain writers of the rough-and-ready school may 

 say. And if you have an attendant, 1 don't let him land your 

 fish till you know that you can fully trust him. 



Thus far I have dwelt wholly on what may be called the 

 destructive side of the fly-fishing question, and have tried to 

 show how the accomplished professor of ' Fine and far off' may 



1 [In many places, especially in Ireland, it is most difficult to get an atten- 

 dant to stand still and allow the angler to bring the fish to him. Rushing 

 down to or into the water with landing net or gaff is fatal, and loses many 

 fish. BEAUFORT. 1 



