INTRODUCTION 33 



by clear, water ; and consequently Mr. 

 Gathorne-Hardy regards sunshine as im- 

 material when the river is dirty. 



There is in most fishes, in those more isrismgshort 

 particularly which are taken on the fly, a 

 tantalising trick, which we call "rising 

 short." On occasions the true explana- 

 tion may no doubt lie in bad fishing, for 

 maladroitness on the part of the fisherman 

 may either frighten the fish or pull the fly 

 out of its reach. There are, however, 

 times when it is no fault of the angler 



o 



that as many as a score of fish in succes- 

 sion will rise at the fly without being 

 hooked. General Morton communicates 

 an interesting fact in connection with this 

 habit, to the effect that the sea-trout in 

 certain Scotch lochs regularly rise short 

 at a fixed time in the afternoon, usually 

 about 3 to 4 P.M., and a case of such 

 regularity points to some peculiar and 

 constant condition of the light striking 

 the surface of the water at a particular 

 angle. On one such occasion he counted 

 no fewer than twenty-one successive rises 



