18 CHATS ON ANGLING. 



But as a rule, it is far more a question of the correct delivery of 

 the fly than anything else, provided the size be right. For myself, I 

 never leave a rising fish that I have not scared, unless I am convinced 

 there is some objectionable and unavoidable drag ; sooner or later you 

 will get him, possibly with the same fly that has been over his head 

 a dozen or so of times. We are all too ready to resort to a change 

 of fly, and to leave a non-responsive fish in disgust, in the hope of 

 finding an easier quarry. My advice is to stick to your fish unless, 

 or until, he is scared. Possibly the most annoying fish is the one 

 that drops slowly down, with his nose in close proximity to the fly, 

 evidently uncertain as to whether or no it is the Simon Pure, until he 

 gets perilously near to you. Even his scruples may be overcome if 

 he gets back into position without being alarmed. One of the most 

 successful anglers I ever knew on the upper Test, who owned a well- 

 known stretch of water, was wont to sally forth with two rods put 

 up, one of which he carried, while the other was carried by his keeper. 

 On one was mounted a hare's ear, on the other a blue dun ; and that 

 these flies answered their purpose his records could testify. 



A difficulty that presents itself to the chalk stream angler is the 

 tendency of fish when hooked and when scared by seeing the angler 

 to bury themselves in the heavy masses of weed. This has now been 

 discounted by the modern method of hand lining — i.e., spiking the rod 

 and taking a good deal of slack line off the reel, and then holding 

 the line in the hand and using a gentle pressure on the fish in the 

 direction contrary to that in which he went. He usually responds 

 very readily, and the rod may then be resumed. Indeed, it is astonishing 

 how fish can be led and coaxed under this influence — the fact being 

 that, the upward play of the rod always tending to lift the fish out 

 of his own element and so drown him, he naturally plays hard to avoid 

 this ; take the upward strain off him and he becomes another creature. 



Yet another difficulty encountered by the dry fly fisherman is 

 caused by fish coming short. What angler is there who has not 

 experienced this annoyance, and how often, as Mr. Halford in his 

 work on Dry Fly Fishing has noticed, does the angler find that 

 after the first rush is over and the hook comes away there is a 

 small scale firmly fixed on the barb, showing that the fish has been 



