SOUTH COUNTRY ANGLING 7 



fishermen are by any means of necessity well versed. 

 The best hand at using a single big fly in this way 

 that I have ever known happens to be good both 

 with the wet and the dry fly. I have seen him 

 kill his four-pound trout on a dry fly water and 

 his three or four dozen moorland troutlets, five or 

 six to the pound, with the same rare ease, skill, 

 and modesty. The big single fly is fished with a 

 long line, and it is absolutely necessary to impart 

 to it plenty of movement. It is worked very much 

 as is a grilse or salmon fly, and is usually most 

 effective in shallow water. The trout, if he be 

 '* tailing " — that is, rummaging about in the weeds 

 for freshwater shrimp and other Crustacea, with his 

 tail every now and then breaking the surface of 

 the stream — will often follow with a distinct wave. 

 If the rate of the fly's progress is abated the fish 

 inevitably perceives the mistake he has made, and 

 very likely in turning away to resume his shrimp- 

 ing operations sees something of angler, rod, or 

 line, and is gone in an instant. It is necessary, 

 therefore, to go on working the fly into one's own 

 bank — always fish down stream when angling in 

 this style — as though the trout were not following 

 at all.i One must never strike till one feels the 

 fish, otherwise it is quite likely he will not come 

 again. When a trout is seen " tailing " the angler 

 fishes over him, but in other cases the fly should be 

 cast under the far bank and worked down with the 

 stream into the near one in the manner described. 

 The method is most deadly when there is a heavy 



^ It is not wise to withdraw or cease working your fly 

 too soon whether a fish has or has not been observed. 

 Ovid's advice cannot be improved on — " Seviper tibi pejideat 

 hamus^ quo niitiiine credis (^urgite piscis e7'it.^^ 



