44 BROOK AND RIVER TROUTING 



simple reason that it is the easier way), many men — 

 we might almost say the majority of men — invariably 

 fish their flies across and downstream, letting the 

 flies sweep right round until they are directly below, 

 where they are often allowed to dangle in the water 

 at the end of a taut line. 



To fish downstream in this manner requires no par- 

 ticular skill, as the stream does most of the work ; 

 and, while the great majority of fish risen are merely 

 pricked and lost, those caught are below the average 

 of size for the river fished. If the beginner is having 

 a bad day and everything is going wrong, if he grows 

 tired with his efforts to fish upstream and is tempted 

 to resort to this method, rather than do so, let him 

 knock off for a while and smoke a pipe, and then return, 

 with renewed hope and vigour, to his upstream fishing, 

 determined to master it. 



Now it frequently happens that the angler wading 

 upstream gets almost up to, or at any rate within two 

 or three yards of a fish, before ever his presence is 

 noticed. There is therefore in general Uttle necessity 

 to use a long line when fishing upstream, yet it is often 

 done. 



Frequently anglers are met who say that they cannot 

 fish upstream, urging, by way of excuse, that they have 

 difficulty in seeing fish rise, which causes late striking, 

 the fish being missed entirely, or, at the most, only 

 turned over. Of course it is difficult to see a rise, or 



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