46 THE DRY FLY AND FAST WATER 



scribed as "tailing" fish, from the fact that the 

 tail of the fish is observed breaking the surface 

 of the water violently or gently, as the case may 

 demand, in his efforts to secure or dislodge his 

 prey. Heavy weed growth being unusual on 

 our swift streams, the trout do not have the 

 same opportunity to feed in the manner de- 

 scribed as their English cousins, and, conse- 

 quently, the American fly fisherman is not par- 

 ticularly interested in tailing fish; but it must 

 not be forgotten that caddis larvae abound in 

 our waters, and that trout occasionally pick up 

 crawfish, snails, and other Crustacea and Mol- 

 lusca from the bottom, usually in the less rapid 

 parts of the stream. Fish so feeding do break 

 the surface with their tails, and, even though 

 the tail be not actually seen, the action of this 

 fin in maintaining the fish's equilibrium causes 

 a swirl which is often mistaken for a rise. A 

 trout often shows his tail in rapid water but 

 this is occasioned by the necessity of forcing 

 his head down to overcome the force of the 

 current after he has taken food of some sort 

 upon the surface or just below it, and the action 

 must not be confused with that of a fish feeding 

 upon the bottom in the more quiet stretches. 

 The term "bulging" is applied to fish that 



