33 2 The Trouts of America 



comes in the aesthetic nature of the fly fisherman. 

 He contends that he gets the greatest enjoyment 

 from the beauty and seclusion of the environment 

 of a trout stream, and that one potent factor in 

 the delight of a trout outing, is the mere act of 

 casting the fly and seeing the fish rise to the sur- 

 face for it. He also abhors the handling and im- 

 paling of a squirming worm, and objects to taking 

 it from the mouth, tongue, or from the gullet, 

 where it is often found embedded. 



Fly fishing for trout is followed by the great 

 majority of anglers, and their methods of fishing 

 a stream are somewhat diverse. In slow-moving 

 waters, the best course is to fish up-stream, and in 

 swift-running ones down-stream, being careful, as 

 before stated, to make a detour when a likely pool 

 is reached, and fish it from the lower end to its 

 head. In fishing up-stream, the cast of flies comes 

 quickly down on the current, which compels con- 

 stant and fatiguing casting, but this can partially 

 be avoided by directing the flies diagonally up and 

 across. Trout in a current always poise with 

 heads against it, and common sense suggests that 

 they are less likely to see the angler below them, 

 than when he is fishing down-stream ; yet it may 

 be with a trout's eyesight, as it is with ours, we 



