Fly Fishing for Trout, 1 1 3 



intended capture, and therefore you must not be 

 too close to the water's edge, or, if it is necessary 

 for casting your fly, you must make yourself as 

 little visible as possible. 



Then, again, observation must decide for you as 

 to whether you will fish up or down the stream. 

 No rule can be laid down, as it so depends on 

 a variety of circumstances — the wind, the light, 

 the condition of the banks, the set of the stream ; 

 but all anglers will agree that if the river can be 

 fished up stream it is preferable, as, indepen- 

 dent of having more power over your fish when 

 hooked, you have the stream with you, instead 

 of against you, and thereby a better chance of 

 landing your fish, and also you have the great ad- 

 vantage of not disturbing your fishing water, as you 

 bring your capture at once, or very soon, into water 

 already fished over. Experienced fly-fishers when 

 fishing up, and particularly when fishing for feeding 

 fish, never allow more line out than is absolutely 

 necessary for the fly to go a very short distance 

 above the fish. This judging distance is very 

 essential. Big fish when feeding lie pretty close 

 to the surface, and generally take up a position 

 close to the bank of the stream and near some 

 weeds. A novice, from the very slight circle the fish 

 makes in just putting his nose above water when 

 rising at the fly, would suppose him to be a small 



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