254 FLY FISHING 



the branches and the rod and line and hooks are 

 all in a conspiracy against him. I use the word 

 " hooks," as I have found small Stewart or Pennell 

 worm tackle much the best for trout fishing : it 

 is easily baited, and with it the angler can, if 

 he likes, strike directly the worm is taken, though 

 it is better to wait just long enough to let the 

 trout get all the worm well into its mouth, and 

 not long enough to let the worm be swallowed. 



On some days burn trout are very aggravating, 

 and will take the worm and chew it without 

 being hooked. The angler waits and then strikes, 

 and feels that he has just touched a fish and no 

 more, and this happens time after time. He 

 tries the effect of waiting longer before striking, 

 and then finds either that he still just misses the 

 fish, or else that the fish has taken the worm 

 off the hooks or has left the worm altogether; 

 or that a very small trout not worth killing has 

 swallowed the hooks, and wasted its own life and 

 his time and trouble. I suppose on these days 

 the trout are not really hungry, and begin to 

 chew the worm instead of trying to swallow it 

 at once. They then discover the presence of 

 the hooks, and either reject the whole thing, or 



