280 ROD AND RIVER 



tree will answer the purpose. Fish love to lie in 

 the shade. The greatest care should, however, 

 be taken not to interfere with any deep natural 

 run under the banks further than may be necessary 

 to preserve the latter from falling in. For if this 

 precaution is not taken, what has been previously 

 a time-honoured resting-place for fish may be 

 utterly ruined ; and where wooden offsets, ' gory- 

 dings,' as they are termed, are made use of, they 

 require to be very judiciously placed, or the 

 natural flow of the stream may be seriously inter- 

 fered with, and a good reach or pool rendered 

 useless. 



It may happen that it is necessary to cut weeds 

 on some rivers ; indeed, if this were not done, 

 such streams would be choked, and fishing would 

 be impossible. This periodical weed-cutting is a 

 great nuisance to the angler. I have, in the 

 earlier pages of this work, referred to the annoy- 

 ance which may be experienced on such occasions, 

 and how very detrimental the cut weeds are to 

 trout-fishing. Still, nevertheless, it is possible to 

 pick out a trout with a fly now and again when 

 there is a temporary cessation from the work, 

 such as may occur when the men are resting for 

 their meals, etc. If cut weeds mar sport with 

 trout, they most effectually put a stop to the 

 operations of the salmon-fisher. In the former 

 case, the fly floats on the water, and being cast 



