16 CHATS ON ANGLING. 



beat most opponents in a casting tournament, but I would back many 

 that I know against him in filling a creel. 



Keep down out of sight, walk and crawl warily, and above all things 

 avoid walking near the bank edge and unnecessarily scaring fish that 

 others following you might otherwise have secured. 



When trout are "bulging" (that is to say, as every angler knows, 

 when they are taking the " nymphae " just below the surface), it is almost 

 hopeless to endeavour to secure them with a dry, floating fly. The fish 

 are intent on another kind of game, and are best left severely alone. 



Unfortunately, even experienced anglers are apt to be deceived by 

 such a fish ; the rise is often apparently that of a trout at a surface fly ; 

 a little careful observation will, however, convince you that such is not 

 the case, for no floating flies are passing near him at the time of his rise. 

 Don't waste another moment upon him, but try to find another in a more 

 reasonable frame of mind. If all the fish on your stretch of water seem 

 to be similarly occupied, and you are not willing to wait until they have 

 decided to make a change of diet, then a gold ribbed hare's ear may, 

 if fished wet, entice an odd fish, as it somewhat resembles a nympha. 



It is, however, very chance work, as is that of endeavouring to secure 

 a "tailing" fish with a down stream fly sunk below the surface, and 

 jerked about in front of where his nose should be. No keen angler 

 would call this serious fishing — it is a mere travesty of the real sport ; 

 but it may serve to pass the time, and perchance to wile a trout into 

 your basket. The angler's patience will, however, be far more severely 

 tried when fish are " smutting." What prophet is there who can tell 

 us what we should do then ? Those abominable " curses," so well named, 

 appear to be able to baffle entirely the skill of the ablest of our 

 entomologists, and the ability of our most capable of fly dressers. No 

 lure has yet been discovered that can have any reasonable hope of 

 imitating them. To watch a big trout slowly and majestically sail here 

 and there on a still, hot day, barely dimpling the surface as he sucks 

 down one after another of these little insignificant "curses," is quite 

 enough to satisfy you as to the remoteness of your chance of deceiving 

 him. Nothing that human hands could tie could simulate them. Place 

 in the track of one of these fish the smallest gnat in your box, attached 

 to the finest of undrawn gut, delivered with the lightest and truest cast 



