56 FLY FISHING AND SPINNING 



It certainly affords me great pleasure when I have captured 

 a fish that has been lying in what I consider to be an almost 

 impossible position. 



There are times when a big trout does lose its head, 

 fails to seek the security of its home amid the weeds, and 

 allows itself to be led gently down stream to a place clear of 

 weeds, as suggested by Mr. Halford. I only remember 

 having seen such an occurrence once, and I do not con- 

 sider it advisable to take the chances of its happening 

 again. 



If a big trout be hooked when directly up-stream in such 

 a narrow channel, it should, if possible, be turned down- 

 stream and kept coming down-stream towards the fisher- 

 man until clear of the weeds, etc. ; but this, again, means 

 drastic and immediate measures before the fish can recover 

 from the surprise of the strike, and great care must be 

 taken, when bringing it down, to keep as much as possible 

 out of sight. 



THE LEFT HAND AND THE REEL 



Now I see some signs of the fish beginning to move 

 again, but before we start I think I will give you a few 

 hints as to fixing the reel on the rod. 



The traditions handed down from the earliest records of 

 fly fishing, associated as they were with the then only known 

 method, namely, wet fly fishing down-stream, are responsible 

 for the belief which exists in the minds of fishermen of 

 to-day that the handle of the reel must be on the right hand 

 side of the rod, and they have grown to believe that they 

 cannot use their reel unless so fixed, and to think that they 

 cannot use the left hand for winding. They have there- 

 fore been in the habit of using the right hand for winding 

 in the line, having of course to change their grasp on the 

 rod when using the right hand for casting with the single- 



