40 FLY FISHING AND SPINNING 



fly down-stream, keep it on the water. Don't take your 

 eye off the fly. Strike ! You have him ! Reel up and 

 bring him down, and keep him well away from the bank 

 at your feet ; don't let him come in under you if you can 

 help it. He's a small fish, but plucky. Well done ! Here's 

 the landing-net ; you must net him yourself. No, your 

 line is too long to do so yet ; reel up a little more line first 

 not too much, or you will be unable to bring your rod 

 backward over your shoulder.* Now bring your rod and 

 arm vertically backward over your shoulder and draw the 

 fish toward the net ; lift your net and you have him. Well 

 done again : but, you see, as he is only just over the limit, 

 and as it is always better to err on the right than on the 

 wrong side, I think we will put him back, and he will have 

 a chance to grow into a bigger fish. 



UNDERSIZED FISH 



When a rule as to the size and weight of a creelable fish 

 is enjoined on any water, I think most fishermen consider 

 it better to return to the water any fish the size or weight 

 of which questionably approaches this limit. 



The keeping of undersized fish when they have been 

 injured is, and must continue to remain, a very delicate 

 problem. Whatever may be the rules governing any water, 

 a trout foul hooked in the eye for instance, should not 

 in my opinion be returned to the water. 



HANDLING A TROUT 



If proper care be used while extracting the hook from the 

 mouth of undersized trout, no injury should be inflicted 

 from which the fish will not speedily recover if returned at 

 once to the water. The injury done to fish by the handling 

 they undergo before they are returned to the water, 



* See page 27, re netting. 



