FISHING DOWN-STREAM UNADVISABLE 217 



or dusk of evening. Nor will they, unless alarmed, 

 subject themselves to the exertion of remaining 

 exposed to the force of heavy water. They may, 

 to a novice, appear to remain in such a position, 

 but it is not so ; it is rather between the rough and 

 the slack waters, and under the banks, that they 

 love to lie. If it is necessary for the angler to keep 

 out of sight, it is equally so for him to avoid 

 treading heavily on the banks ; the one is as 

 detrimental to sport as the other. The boots of 

 the policeman are the thief's best friends. 



In trout-fishing it is never either advisable or 

 admissible to fish directly down-stream, no matter 

 whether a dry or wet fly is used. If the stream is 

 too rough, or otherwise unsuitable for the former, 

 and it is necessary to use the latter, if fish are not 

 rising, and the water has to be searched, the cast 

 should be made rather across and down-stream 

 than directly across or down. Let the reader but 

 reflect that fish under ordinary conditions lie with 

 their heads up-stream ; he will then understand 

 that the more obliquely the fly is presented to them 

 the better. If he fishes straight down -stream 

 he is seen ; if straight across, the fly is dragged 

 before the nose of the fish in a very unnatural 

 manner; nor does the latter, quick though he may 

 be, get the same chance of seizing it as if it floats 

 more directly and quietly down, as it were, into 

 his very mouth. 



