CASTING WITH A DRY-FLY 223 



similar colour. I mention this fact because the 

 Scotch fishermen have an old saying that when 

 the * coppersmith,' as they term this peculiar light, 

 is on the water * the fush wunna tak.' There is 

 also another bluish metallic colour of water which 

 they call the ' tinsmith,' which is held by them as 

 being equally unsuitable. And they are right, 

 for I have never yet found it otherwise. 



Having found a rising, feeding fish, the next 

 thing is to ascertain what fly he is feeding upon, 

 and, failing this, to select the fly which is most 

 likely to be the right one. Nor even then is it 

 advisable to at once commence operations ; for 

 it is ever time well spent to prospect the position 

 of the fish, the run of the stream in the particular 

 spot in which he is situated, the position of 

 boughs, the sun, wind, etc., and, having done so, 

 to determine from whence and how the cast can 

 best be made, so as to get the fly neatly over 

 him. 



In the chalk streams and others of a similar 

 character, it may be observed that the surface of 

 the river is broken up into innumerable little 

 currents, 'streams within streams,' and if these 

 are not carefully observed before the cast is 

 made, the fly, just as it is nearirig the fish, will 

 probably be diverted from its course ; and if the 

 gut is thereby dragged across, it may be the 

 means of stopping the fish rising for a time, 



