AN AMATEUR AT WORK 287 



portions, and not in the rough water, or the case 

 may be reversed. Fish are peculiar creatures, 

 and though there must doubtless be a reason for 

 their eccentric behaviour at times, it is very often 

 impossible to discover it. 



I would impress upon the reader, if he is a 

 novice, that salmon are not to be caught with the 

 rod and line, that it is the fly with which he 

 catches the fish. To speak plainly, I would have 

 him remember that the rod and line are only the 

 means by which he is to get his fly into a certain 

 spot ; that it is what he does with the fly after it 

 is in the water which is the chief point to be, 

 considered, and that casting more frequently than 

 is absolutely necessary is not fishing, but is detri- 

 mental to sport. Fish are not to be caught flying 

 about in the air. I lay stress on this, because it 

 is nearly always the case that a beginner seems 

 to imagine that the one and only thing necessary 

 is to keep on casting and casting. He gives no 

 thought as to what the fly is doing, but he goes 

 on flogging the water until he is thoroughly 

 exhausted with his efforts, and then, and not till 

 then, does he give the fish a chance of even 

 looking at his fly. If by good luck he succeeds 

 in hooking a fish, in nine cases out of ten it is at 

 the very time when his attention is diverted, and 

 the fly has been permitted to remain a little longer 

 in the water than usual. He would be far more 



