1 86 THE DRY FLY AND FAST WATER 



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because it is in no sense descriptive of the effect 

 of the wind upon the feeding of the fish. When 

 an angler has taken trout under conditions 

 ranging from flat calms to gales from every 

 point of the compass, it is difficult for him to 

 believe that wind has any direct effect upon the 

 fish, aside, perhaps, from the influence it exerts 

 in promoting or retarding the development of 

 the insects upon which they feed; and this last 

 depends more upon the temperature of the wind 

 than it does upon its force or the quarter from 

 which it comes. 



The angler who is fishing the flat, still water 

 of a pond or lake hopes for a breeze in order 

 that he may take advantage of the ripple caused 

 by it, and deceive or approach his fish more 

 readily. The advantage afforded by the breeze 

 is offset on many occasions, in proportion to the 

 force of the wind, by the increased difficulty of 

 casting; and when a stiff wind is, blowing down- 

 stream or in the face of the angler it is of negli- 

 gible value. So far as comfort is concerned, a 

 chilling wind is very disagreeable, and the an- 

 gler unfortunate enough to be upon the stream 

 during a "norther" in the early spring is quite 

 of the mind that trout are sensible of it, when 

 he finds them in no keener mood for the sport 



