36 FLY FISHING AND SPINNING 



places it so far above wet fly fishing down-stream, or, in 

 my opinion, any other sport. 



The difference between the two methods, fishing up and 

 fishing down, may be compared to the intellectual pleasure 

 and anticipation of the sportsman during every moment of 

 a long and arduous day in September when shooting over 

 well -trained pointers or setters, and the jaded indifference 

 of the gunner who strides along, with his principal sense, 

 sight after the first few hours used solely to keep him in 

 line and out of ditches, etc., and who is suddenly aroused 

 and jerked back to the realities of life by the nerve-jarring 

 rush of the birds he has chanced to kick up. 



A FIGHTING FISH 



Now watch me carefully once more. The fish you put 

 down are again rising, and I am going to try for the big 

 fellow right under the bank. He has shifted in quite close, 

 so I shall hit that grass above him with my fly, and let it fall 

 into the water and float down quite close to the edge. See, 

 I have done so, and there it comes, now sailing outward 

 with a little sweep, and now sidling quite close in to the bank 

 and almost stationary. There ! what did I tell you ? I 

 have him, and this time I am into a good fish. You noticed 

 how I dropped the point of my rod when he jumped ? There 

 he goes again. What a fighter ! Now he is going for those 

 weeds down-stream. Observe the tug as I check him. 

 He has the stream to help him, but I must hold him up, 

 for if he gets into the weeds we shall lose him for a certainty. 

 I have beaten him, I think. No, not I. Look how he clears 

 the water and goes again to the bank. He's all right 

 there, for you can see that the bottom is gravel and there 

 are no weeds or snags. Now to get in a little line. Steady 

 does it. No, he is off again down to the weeds. How the 

 reel screams ! and the rod look at it bent nearly double. 



