44 THE RISE DESCRIBED 



Now we will see if there is any rise. No, there are 

 no signs of a move yet, as the pupae which will form 

 to-day's hatch are possibly waiting among the weeds 

 until the water becomes a little warmer, or perhaps 

 altered by some meteorological change, before rising 

 to the surface, and therefore the trout have not been 

 as yet excited by their appearance. 



We had better, therefore, continue our walk down to 

 our starting-point at the lowest end of our water. 

 What ! You saw a rise ? Where ? Oh, I see. That 

 is not a trout, but a water-rat. See him working his 

 way up-stream among the rushes and under the long 

 grass of the bank. Notice how he makes a long, slant- 

 ing, rippling line from the bank out into the stream, 

 instead of the detached ripple or ring peculiar to the 

 rise of a fish. The rise of a trout varies in size, from 

 the most delicate circular dimple on the surface to 

 the splash and wave made as he jumps clean out of the 

 water. We will now go on down-stream, keeping well 

 away from the water, as we don't want to frighten the 

 fish. Trout, as I said before, lie with their heads up- 

 stream, and their attention is thus directed to any 

 food which may come floating down toward them either 

 on or below the surface of the water ; it is necessary, 

 therefore, for the fisherman to find out what the trout 

 are feeding on, and then present this food to them in 

 the most natural manner possible. The wet fly fisher- 



niay deal. By this means a general entomological knowledge will 

 be obtained. A single watchmaker's glass is always a most useful 

 adjunct to carry in your fishing-bag, also a small butterfly-net. 



