THE RISE 77 



coming from nowhere. This is the trying time, 

 as the fish, having come closer to the angler, is 

 more likely to be frightened off by any sudden 

 movement; but if the angler is careful, the 

 satisfaction of eventually seeing the fish rise 

 deliberately and fasten to the fly is not to be 

 measured by that of taking a larger fish by any 

 other method. 



Great care should be exercised in retrieving 

 the fly from the water, because a fish taking 

 up a position under the angler's lane of flies 

 usually backs down-stream a bit. In no case 

 should the fly be retrieved until it has floated 

 down to a point nearly at right angles to or 

 even below the rod. Strict observance of this 

 rule will prevent scaring off many fish that 

 might otherwise be induced to rise. 



Where the swiftness of the current precludes 

 any possibility of preventing drag, particularly 

 in those miniature pools behind rocks in the 

 centre of the stream called "pockets," the fly 

 may be placed lightly thereon, and as lightly 

 whisked away, being left but an instant, to 

 be returned immediately and often, until the 

 angler is satisfied that the pocket contains no 

 fish, or that he is unable to interest them if it 

 does. In any event, he need not feel that an 



