THE RISE 45 



Inasmuch as the principal literature avail- 

 able on this delightful branch of angling is the 

 work of Englishmen who have, with unfailing 

 unanimity, used the same terms in describing 

 the positions and actions of feeding fish, it 

 would be unwise to attempt to employ others, 

 and for that reason I have made use of them 

 throughout this chapter. 



Compared with our swift-flowing waters, the 

 gentle, slow-moving, chalk streams of Southern 

 England offer greater advantages to students 

 of the habits of feeding fish, not only because of 

 the greater deliberation with which the trout se- 

 cures his food in them but also because a greater 

 number of aquatic insects contribute to his 

 sustenance there than are found on our swift 

 streams; consequently, the English student has 

 far greater opportunity for observation. The 

 water-weeds grow so heavily on these English 

 streams that at times it is found necessary to 

 cut them out to some extent if fly fishing is to 

 be pursued. These weeds harbour great num- 

 bers of snails, shrimps, larvae, etc., of which the 

 trout are inordinately fond, and when the fish 

 are seeking this luscious fare the trials of the 

 angler fishing with a floating fly are, indeed, 

 many. Trout feeding in this manner are de- 



