132 When to Fish for T7^out. 



generally lie pretty close to their haunts, will 

 dart out from under the cover and take your fly 

 as it floats down almost without breaking the 

 water ; but you must watch for the movement, and 

 experience will tell you when to strike. At times 

 these big fellows come out into the middle of the 

 stream, and you may see them throwing their tails 

 up out of the weeds — " tailing " — nothing is so 

 tantalizing ; rarely will these fellows come at your 

 fly ; but never mind, have patience ; there are other 

 fish about; don't fatigue your arm or sour your 

 temper by casting over them. Sometimes towards 

 evening big fish will come up and break the water 

 in all directions, yet will not take any fly thrown 

 over them — not even the good imitation of the 

 Fisherman's curse. If you do perchance take a fish, 

 and examine his maw, it will be found that he has 

 been taking all kinds of flies. As a rule, one is 

 too impatient, and inclined to change the fly too 

 often. The best plan is to go on teasing them with 

 a good fly ; some of them will come at last, appa- 

 rently provoked into taking your lure. 



A word or two about weed cutting. In my opinion 

 weed cutting is carried much too far. It encourages 

 poaching and it impoverishes the fish. Trout are 

 much finer and fatter in rivers where the weeds are 

 cut with judgment. It is terrible to see the way 

 in which the weeds are cut in some rivers, par- 



