THE VALUE OF OBSERVATION 33 



of the rock. For a moment I could not believe 

 that I had seen a fish the movement was so 

 deliberate and I came to the conclusion that it 

 was fancy or that a water-snake, gliding across 

 the stream, had shown itself. Almost immedi- 

 ately, however, I saw the flash of a trout as he 

 left the backwater and dashed pell-mell into 

 the swift water at the side of the boulder. 

 Down-stream he came until he was eight or ten 

 feet below the rock, when, turning sharply and 

 rising to the surface, he took from it some in- 

 sect that I could not see. Up-stream again he 

 went, and shortly resumed his position in the 

 dead water, showing half his body as he stemmed 

 the current at the side of the rock. Once more 

 this performance was repeated, and I knew I 

 had stumbled upon an interesting experience. 

 Hastily measuring the distance, hoping to get 

 my fly to him before some natural insect might 

 excite him to give another exhibition of gym- 

 nastic feeding, I dropped it about three feet 

 above him, and, contrary to my usual method 

 of retrieving it as it floated past the up-stream 

 side of the boulder, I permitted it to come down 

 riding the top of the wave, when the same flash 

 came as the trout dashed after it. The fish 

 could be plainly seen almost directly under the 



