THE COMMON BROWN TROUT. 249 



refraction, or about four to three ; and, secondly, that light will not pass 

 out of air into water if the angle of incidence exceeds about 88 degrees, 

 but will be reflected. The practical outcome of this is, that a low bank 

 in front, or wading, is much preferable for the trout fisher to attempting 

 to hide oneself behind an obstacle near the water. The next points in the 

 natural history of the fish to which it is necessary here to advert, before 

 coming to the full consideration of fly fishing, are the senses of taste and 

 smell, in the trout particularly. Of course the reader is aware that I 

 have rather fully gone into the subject in the chapter " Notes on Ichthy- 

 ology." It seems that fishes, from the exercise of some discriminating 

 power other than that given by sight alone, have the ability to disregard 

 that which is not their usual food. Trout certainly exercise this faculty 

 in a marked way. For example, trout will not take the honey bee (Apis 

 mellefica) , yet it is in colour certainly like the March brown fly ; and the 

 wasp is also rejected of trout, and the humble bee likewise is not a 

 favourite. The lesson to be derived from this proved fact is briefly this 

 be careful that each artificial fly is as correctly an imitation of the actual 

 insect as possible. Typical flies are, as before shown, in my opinion, 

 based on but little theory of a reliable nature. 



Although Francis pooh-poohs the idea of choosing the weather for 

 fly fishing, I say, from experience, select those warm cloudy days with a 

 slight S.W. ripple, so productive of insect life. The presence of a slight 

 ripple on the water helps considerably to disguise the actual character of 

 the imitation, and is therefore useful, whilst the cloudiness of the sky, 

 presaging rain, stirs up the appetites and expectations of trout, to their 

 frequent destruction let us hope. 



True, one may find exceptions without number to arbitrary rules in this 

 respect, but, taking the majority of cases, a regard for what I have said 

 will bring sport. I have taken trout amid snow, but let the tyro be 

 assured that such a feat is very unusual. I do not go so far as the 

 ancient writers did in re the governance of creatures by one planet, but, 

 I am nevertheless sure that a full moon influences results in the latter 

 part of the day as regards trout fishing, even as it does as regards eel 

 fishing. Old Gower, in the " Confessione Amantis," 1554, goes further, 

 however, and tells us 



Benethe all other stont the moone, 

 The whiche hath with the sea to doone, 

 Of floods high and ebbes lowe, 

 Upon his chaunge it shall be knowe, 

 And euery Fishe, which hath a shelle, 

 Mote in his gouernance dwelle, 

 To wexe and wane in his degree, 

 And by the moone a man mai see. 



as also do other writers already quoted. 



