FISHING A STRANGE RIVER 285 



apart from anything to do with the flies to be 

 used, etc. The flow of the water is by no means 

 all it at first sight may appear to be. Not only 

 are the currents which are visible very frequently 

 deceptive, but there are under-currents, which are 

 not visible, and which tend to draw the fly alto- 

 gether away from the place in which it is believed 

 to be, and so, instead of fishing a certain spot, it 

 is, perhaps, not within several feet of it, despite the 

 appearance of the line to the contrary. A salmon- 

 fly, being sunk and worked under water, is, of 

 course, invisible to the angler, who, unless he is 

 acquainted with these peculiarities and eccen- 

 tricities of the river, may time after time fail to 

 place his fly within sight of perhaps the best fish 

 in the whole stream ; for such ever select positions 

 in which it is most difficult to get at them. 



Rivers which run over hard and rocky beds are 

 not subject to any material alteration, inasmuch as 

 their banks are not liable to be worn away. 

 Where, however, the soil is softer, the floods of 

 one winter only will so frequently change the run 

 of a, pool as to alter the position of the ' taking 

 place ' indeed, they may spoil the pool altogether 

 as a resting-place for the fish. In such cases, 

 what was deep water previously may become 

 shallow, and vice versa. 



The water never runs straight through a pool ; 

 there is always a back-water at times two or 



