84 FLY FISHING AND SPINNING 



After a bright and hot day during the summer months, 

 the sub-imago stage of life will be assumed by many water 

 insects, while innumerable imago forms of insect life will 

 float or soar through the ambient air in the delicate mazes of 

 their bridal dance. The trout at these times indulge in 

 their usual evening carnival, presumably busy amid the 

 ascending nymphae, or perchance feeding eagerly on some 

 smut-like flying insect. After this is over they settle down 

 with serious supper intentions, and continue feeding at 

 intervals, sometimes well on into the small hours of the 

 morning. As darkness deepens, and before the full moon has 

 risen to keep her vigil and illumine with her silvery enchant- 

 ment the first sweet slumber of Nature, the fisherman, who 

 has perhaps had a bad day, may be tempted to fish on, 

 regardless of dinner consideration or of losing his last train. 

 By facing west he can still detect the rise of feeding fish, 

 and even if fish are rising close to the opposite bank and out 

 of sight amid its shadows, the sound of the rise will very 

 frequently guide him in making an accurate cast, and 

 eventually landing a big fish. The rise of the fish at his fly 

 will in most cases be seen, felt, or heard seen, because a 

 comparatively big ring will be caused by a rise, and on the 

 slopes of the attendant ripple the glint and reflection from 

 the western sky will be detected, even amid the blackness 

 of the shadows under the opposite bank ; heard, because 

 the evening rise of a fish at a floating fly, owing to its more 

 limited vision at night-time, is frequently more sudden and 

 less dignified, and therefore, in most cases, more clearly 

 audible amid the general hush of Nature ; felt, because 

 the fisherman's line at night should be as short and 

 straight as possible, and when the fly is taken by the fish 

 the tug will in most cases be distinctly noticeable. (See 

 Plate X.) 



