146 FLY FISHING 



quite under water when the line was straight 

 down stream. The most successful plan that 

 day was to let the flies hang in the water ror a 

 few moments straight down stream at the end of 

 the cast, moving the point of the rod very gently. 

 Other methods too were tried by me that day, 

 but this was by far the most successful. 



When trout are feeding freely on natural flies, 

 the moment when the artificial flies just touch 

 the water is perhaps the most likely in each 

 cast, but trout have curiously different moods 

 when feeding, and there are many days when fish 

 rise in the middle or end of the cast (when the 

 flies are sweeping round under water or hanging in 

 the stream), and appear not to be attracted by fre- 

 quent and light casting. Sometimes feeding trout 

 are very difficult and peculiar, and seem to be 

 attracted by some special attitude or movement of 

 the flies : it is therefore worth the angler's while 

 to experiment attentively and to store in his 

 memory for future use any suggestive experience. 



Variety and independence are great charms 

 of wet fly fishing for trout. There is no need 

 of a ghillie or attendant to show the pools as 

 in salmon fishing, and to explain the habits of 



