TROUT AND GRAYLING. 39 



if it returns too quickly or sharply from behind 

 him, a crack will be heard and the fly whipped 

 off. There is some little difficulty in acquiring 

 this management. The larger the fly the more 

 resistance it meets with in the air ; this resistance 

 causes it to make a better curve, and the danger 

 of smacking it off is lessened. A Palmer made 

 as shewn in plate 19 is not easily lost in this 

 manner. 



The attempt to describe by words all the pre- 

 cautions and manipulations requisite for throwing 

 a fly successfully and gracefully would be as hope- 

 less a task as that of teaching to dance by such 

 means. It must be abundantly evident that the 

 fly should drop as lightly as possible on the water, 

 and that an awkward unmannerly splash will in- 

 evitably mar the delusion. 



Weather, $c. 



The best days to select for fly fishing are those 

 that are warm and cloudy, with a gentle breeze 

 from the South or West, causing a ripple upon 

 the water; by which the fish is not only prevented 

 from seeing the fisherman so plainly as in smooth 

 water, but is also deprived of so good an opportu- 

 nity of detecting the fly-maker's artifice. 



The water after a flood sometimes remains for 

 several days too turbid for fly fishing. When it 

 is very low in its bed and clear it is also unpro- 



