162 FLY FISHING 



manner of seizing the fly that it is not safe to 

 use very fine drawn gut, for tackle which may 

 be quite strong enough to play and land a 

 three or four pound fish in open water, cannot 

 always be trusted to stand the jerk of the sudden 

 rush with which even a two pound fish seizes 

 the fly. A sea trout is not in the habit of 

 feeding quietly upon flies floating at ease upon 

 the surface. It may do this occasionally, but it 

 is not used to this method of feeding as brown 

 trout are, and it takes a fly moving under water, 

 as if the fly were a thing trying to escape from 

 it. There are days when almost every fish that 

 rises seems to hook itself without needing effort 

 or attention on the angler's part; and there are 

 other days generally in bright weather when 

 the water is low, when the fish rise short, 

 because they are shy ; they just touch the fly, and 

 on these days I think the angler can do a good 

 deal to improve his sport by striking quickly, by 

 using fine gut, and by fishing delicately with a 

 long line. There are yet other days when sea 

 trout rise boldly and playfully, but fail to touch 

 the fly at all ; and indeed " fail " is the wrong 

 wcrd to use, for I think that on these days the 



