152 DRY-FLY FISHING 



a fine fishing breeze curls the water. If the angler 

 places his flies across a rise, the fish is not there 

 to receive his offering, but a yard or two farther on 

 its course ; he must therefore not aim for the mark, 

 but for the point where he imagines the trout is 

 due to arrive. 



In quiet pools of rivers trout at times similarly 

 roam about ; but they are decidedly leisurely in 

 their movements ; they do not travel at so great 

 a pace nor so far as those of Loch Leven. It is 

 generally only when they are sampling tiny dip- 

 tera or watery duns that they set out on a cruise 

 in the circumscribed area of the pool. The angler 

 who decides to test his skill on these particularly 

 worthy trout we hold the cruiser in the highest 

 esteem must be prepared to exercise to the full 

 the patience with which anglers are supposed to 

 be endowed beyond all other mortals. 



He must not be rash in taking cover : the object 

 of his desire is not a stationary trout but a rover. 

 It is consequently more difficult to stalk, as it may, 

 at some point of its circuit, catch a glimpse of the 

 incautious intruder. If he succeeds in remaining 

 invisible, he has scored one victory, itself praise- 

 worthy ; but the other, and by far the greater, will 

 never be his, if he lays his fly over the rise ; he must 

 judge where the trout will next arrive, that is to 

 say, his fly must reach the water at the right spot 

 and before the rise. 



An hour or two spent on a bridge over a streamy 

 pool when trout are feeding is time well spent ; 

 but anglers are generally, in such circumstances, 

 more anxious to fish than to acquire knowledge that 

 will add to their sport during subsequent rises. 



