70 FLY FISHING 



of being very frivolous and light-hearted. Even 

 now there is more to be said, for the fly must 

 float as if it were unattached to a comparatively 

 heavy line, some yards of which are lying upon 

 the water; and to this it must be added that 

 the fly must float with perfect accuracy to the 

 exact spot, where one particular trout has been 

 seen to rise some moments before. In good 

 dry fly water trout are extremely quick to mark 

 anything that is amiss, so that all these matters 

 must be attended to. 



The various positions in which a trout may 

 be rising, fall roughly under two heads. The 

 first includes every position under or near the 

 angler's own bank; the second includes any 

 position near the middle or on the opposite 

 sides of the stream, though in a very narrow 

 stream all positions may be regarded as coming 

 under the first head. A trout under or near 

 the angler's own bank must as a rule be given 

 the chance of seeing the gut before it sees the 

 fly. If the trout's body is clearly visible in the 

 water, it may be possible in theory to make 

 the fly alight at just such a spot over its head 

 that it can see the fly and nothing else, but I 



