78 Artificial-Fly Fishing. 



chances of securing a good basket for that day, he 

 will be advised to cast his flies up-stream, so as 

 most effectually to utilise every inch of the water 

 and every moment of his time. The fact is, that 

 when the water is "small" and clear, trout are 

 principally to be found in the necks of the streams 

 indeed, when the May -fly appears, they crowd 

 the streams ; and if the angler should hook a fish 

 there while fishing down, it must needs bulk more 

 largely in his imagination than in his eye, ere he 

 can contentedly accept it as the only trophy from 

 that water, which to the up-stream fisher might 

 have yielded a goodly company to grace his basket 

 and attest his skill. 



The second advantage claimed for up-stream 

 fishing was alluded to in a former chapter, where I 

 urged the necessity of presenting the fly to the fish 

 in the manner most likely to deceive it. This is 

 certainly attained by casting up-stream, and allow- 

 ing the fly to float gently towards the fish with all 

 the appearance of a natural insect being carried 

 down-stream. 



But thirdly, not only is the trout then most 

 likely to believe that he sees a real fly, but he is 

 also then most likely to be hooked should he rise 

 to it, as the slackness of the line at this critical 

 moment gives the fish the most favourable oppor- 

 tunity for seizing the fly, and the angler the most 



