30 THE DRY FLY AND FAST WATER 



tration and observation. If this be so, I have 

 the newer method to thank for the development 

 of these faculties. I have learned not to over- 

 look a single minor happening. Perhaps my 

 keenness to ascribe some meaning to the slight- 

 est incident has resulted in the building of many 

 very fine structures of theory and dogma upon 

 poor foundations. This may be true, but I am 

 certain that their weaknesses have always be- 

 come apparent to me in time; and, on the other 

 hand, I am just as certain that I have been 

 greatly benefited by my habit of close attention 

 to the little things that happen on the stream. 

 For instance, I cherished the belief for many 

 years that one advantage of up-stream fishing 

 lay in the fact that when the fly was taken the 

 hook was driven into the fish's mouth instead 

 of being pulled away, as in down-stream fishing. 

 I thought this to be one of the strongest argu- 

 ments in favour of up-stream fishing, and, theo- 

 retically, it is. But I know now that many 

 fish that take a floating fly do so when they 

 are headed down-stream. While there are still 

 many reasons why up-stream fishing is the better 

 method, this particular argument no longer has 

 weight with me. 



As I remember it, the strongest admonition 



