38 FLY FISHING AND SPINNING 



the time he leaves the water, you should continue to keep 

 the line fairly taut, as this slight strain will keep the head 

 of the fish towards you and prevent his tail coming forward 

 and striking against your line ; it will also prevent the 

 fly loosening in his mouth. If ever a delicate hold on the 

 rod be required, it is at this moment. 



In Plate III., a taut line will keep his head toward you, the 

 hook fast in his mouth, and the line clear of his tail. 



In Plate IV., by slackening the line at once, the fish 

 will get no purchase if his tail does strike the line, while 

 the weight of the line will keep the hook embedded in his 

 mouth as the fish moves away from you. 



In both cases just now, as you could see, the trout was 

 heading away from me and up-stream, so I promptly 

 lowered my rod and kept my line clear of his tail. The 

 lowering of the point of the rod when the fish is heading 

 as in Plate III., may be just as dangerous as not lowering 

 the point when the fish is in such a position as Plate IV., 

 and for the following reason : Lowering the rod slackens 

 the line and releases the strain on the hook a most risky 

 proceeding, for if the fish happens to be lightly hooked 

 on some bony portion of the mouth, the toothed tongue of 

 the trout, which is constantly endeavouring to shift the 

 fly when in its mouth, will at once get the opportunity it 

 requires, and the fly will be rubbed or torn away from its 

 hold. This latter position, however, is the more common 

 one, and always lowering the rod is better than always 

 keeping it up. The best advice I can give is always to lower 

 the point when there is a probability of the fish striking the 

 line with his tail ; but it must be evident that if the trout, 

 as in Plate III., is likely to throw a somersault so as to 

 bring its tail down between its head and the fisherman, 

 this somersault will be all the more easily executed if the 

 line is slackened. 



