272 FLY FISHING 



was possible to get within reach of and opposite 

 to rising trout without frightening them. Then 

 the fly could be thrown some way above them 

 with an underhand cast, so as not to show the 

 rod ; and being opposite and not below, I could let 

 the fly float down a few inches on the near side 

 of a rising trout, so that only the fly and none 

 of the gut was seen. In this way I at last caught 

 one or two trout, and then somehow, when the 

 frost of failure had once broken up, it seemed 

 more easy to succeed all over the river. 



These trout were the shyest I have ever 

 known. They were more difficult to approach 

 and more easily scared by rod or gut than any 

 others I ever fished for ; but if the fly could be 

 floated to a rising fish without frightening him, 

 it was generally taken. On the best day that ] 

 had there I caught eleven fish. None of these 

 weighed three pounds, but the first two were 

 each over two and three-quarter pounds. For 

 such shy fish really fine gut had to be used, 

 and there were many disasters in the weeds, 

 but also many splendid struggles fought out 

 in pools which were far too deep for any vege- 

 tation. It was the wildest and most exciting 



