216 ROD AND RIVER 



too dark to see, and probably they feed under 

 water. On such occasions fishing is folly, because 

 it is useless and a waste of time. This is, I regret 

 to say, but too often the condition of things when 

 some hard-worked City man elects to take his 

 brief holiday and spend it by the river-side. 



So much depends on the description of the 

 river, that it is a difficult matter to explain to the 

 reader which are the likeliest spots in which he 

 may hope and expect to secure sport. Roughly 

 speaking, the best fish invariably select those 

 places where it is most difficult to cast a fly to 

 advantage. Big fish, when feeding, rarely make 

 much of a fuss about it ; they have a quiet, un- 

 obtrusive way of sucking down a fly : their mouths 

 are big, and so perhaps they know that they can 

 make pretty sure of not missing it. The smaller 

 fry take matters in a less matter-of-fact fashion, 

 and dart and splash about, fearful lest they should 

 be too late for dinner. 



Wherever a fish can rest without undue exer- 

 tion, and yet be in a position to readily seek the 

 shelter of rough water, rocks, roots of trees, etc., 

 in case of alarm, and also to take toll of the flies 

 as they pass down-stream over his nose, there he 

 is to be found. Where pools and shallows alter- 

 nate with each other, as they generally do, the 

 fish come out on the latter to feed when any 

 special rise of fly is on, or in the early mornings 



