252 THE PRACTICAL FISHERMAN. 



anything behind them, so that the angler fishing down will be seen 

 by them twenty yards off, whereas the angler fishing up will be unseen, 

 although he be but a few yards in their rear. The advantages of this it 

 is impossible to estimate. No creatures are more easily scared than 

 trout, &c 



" The next advantage is, the much greater probability to hook a trout 

 when it rises. In angling down stream, if a trout rises, and he strikes, 

 he runs a risk of pulling the flies straight out of its mouth ; whereas 

 in fishing up its back is to him, and he has every chance of bringing the 

 hook into contact with its jaws 



" Another advantage of fishing up is, that it does not disturb the 

 water so much. Let us suppose the angler fishing down a fine pool. 

 He, of course, commences at the top, the place where the best trout and 

 those most inclined to feed invariably lie. After a few casts he hooks 

 one, which immediately runs down, and by its vagaries, leaping in the air 

 and plunging in all directions, alarms all its neighbours, and ten to one 

 if he gets another rise in that pool 



" The last advantage of fishing up is, that by it the angler can much 

 better adapt the motions of his flies to that of the natural insect." . . 

 In order to substantiate this, Mr. Stewart, after some circumlocution, 

 asks the question : " Is it not much more natural to throw the flies and 

 let them come down gently as any real insect would do ? " 



To all this Mr. Francis has not a word to say in opposition. Pennell, 

 however, says : " As a rule the best mode of fishing rivers is to cast 

 down and across the current, beginning under the further bank, if 

 possible, and ending under the near one. In spite of Mr. Stewart's 

 able advocacy, most anglers have now arrived at the conclusion 

 that fishing up stream always, or even generally, is a mistake in 

 practice." On the publication of this a war of words ensued in the 

 Field, in which Mr. Pennell justified the above opinion by answering 

 as follows. 



As regards the assertion of Mr. Stewart, that "as trout always lie 

 head up stream the angler fishing from below is less likely to be seen than 

 one fishing from above," he says : 



" The position of the eye of the trout is such as to enable him to see 

 much more readily anything above, or on one side, than in front of him 

 and in rippling water, such as trout streams usually are; the angler 

 making moderately easy casts will, for all practical purposes, be out of the 

 ken whether he stands above or below." 



Now this is very vague and is really a weak answer, forasmuch as that 

 it often is exceedingly desirable that the angler should throw a short line 

 and not long. The sight of trout, as before stated, is very sharp ; why, 



