190 FLY FISHING 



reached the fish, one of the smaller ones fol- 

 lowed it without breaking the water. Time 

 after time the fly was cast in the same place, 

 and one or other of the smaller fish continually 

 noticed it by some movement, or followed it to 

 the bank, but there was no rise, nor was the fly 

 actually touched. Then I went down and my 

 friend reported from above. I succeeded in 

 moving the big fish ; he followed my fly two 

 or three times, but none of the smaller fish made 

 any movement. Then my friend tried again 

 and moved more than one of the smaller fish, 

 but without getting a visible rise from any of 

 them or stirring the big fish. When my turn 

 came again the smaller fish never moved, but 

 the big fish followed the fly right round, 

 and at last made a rise at it with a visible 

 boil at the end of the cast, but without being 

 touched by the hook. That was our nearest 

 approach to hooking a fish, but we had enjoyed 

 half-an-hour's very exciting sport. It was impos- 

 sible for the person fishing to see these salmon 

 while casting over them, and had either of us 

 been alone, we should no doubt never have 

 persevered long enough to get the one visible 



