THE RISE OF THE SALMON 207 



rod away from this position must of necessity be 

 inadvisable if the speed of the lure can be otherwise 

 controlled. 



THE RISE OF THE SALMON 



Probably the most anxious moments of the salmon 

 fisherman's experience are those which chronicle the 

 rise of the salmon at his fly, and it is well for the 

 beginner to be in all senses ready for this event. 

 During each cast the eye should be alert, the rod 

 pointed at an angle of at least 25 degrees away from 

 the position of the fly, the line clear to the reel, and 

 grasped firmly between the upper hand and the rod. 

 You need not, as in dry fly fishing, strike in order 

 to hook your fish. Except when the fly is stationary 

 or being drawn down-stream, the salmon should be 

 allowed to fix the barb in its own mouth i.e., to hook 

 himself before a counter-strain is employed. Follow- 

 ing the rise, except in the two cases just quoted, the 

 fisherman should merely brace himself for action and 

 keep perfectly still. If a quick stroke is made as the 

 rise is perceived the fly may be pulled from the still 

 open mouth of the fish, or jerked out before the hook 

 is in a position to enter the flesh. The salmon will, 

 on closing his jaws, if time be given, shift the fly 

 with the tongue toward the teeth preparatory to 

 lacerating it. If the barb of the hook during this 

 action happens to meet the skin either of the tongue 

 or jaws of the fish, the salmon will in most cases be 



