48 BROOK AND RIVER TROUTING 



pools, currents and eddies, and all those other details, 

 the meaning of which under varying conditions he has 

 learned to read, and he is always alive to gather some 

 new hint. He brings to his aid the wisdom gained 

 by past experiences, successes and failures, and a 

 knowledge of the habitat of the trout which has been 

 the reward of keen observation and a reasoning mind. 



He will tell you that in early Spring the trout, 

 having hardly recovered their energy after spawning, 

 are not to be found in the heavy rapids, but may be 

 looked for at the tail ends of streams and in gently 

 flowing water ; that, as the weeks go by, and as the 

 sun's rays warm the water, insect life becomes more 

 plentiful, and that the trout, once more lusty and 

 strong with the abundant supply of food, spread 

 themselves over the river, into rapid streams and all 

 those places into which steady supplies are concen- 

 trated ; and further, that during the heat of Summer 

 they will be located in the thinnest of water, at the 

 very edges of streams, pools and eddies, where they lie 

 ever ready to dart away at the least suspicion of danger. 



Such an angler realizes the necessity of a good know- 

 ledge of insect life, watercraft and the habitat of the 

 trout, and becomes as intimate with each as an artist 

 is with his colours. And as blue and yellow combined 

 will make a green, so surely will the man who thoroughly 

 acquires such knowledge be a long way towards being 

 numbered amongst the elect. 



