8o Artificial-Fly Fishing. 



and shall I add ? it is only when napping that 

 they do. Even with this reservation, however, I 

 fear that the Captain is straining out his gnat only 

 to swallow his camel. 



Lastly, as the fish all lie with their heads up- 

 stream, the angler who fishes up approaches them 

 from behind, and is consequently outside the range 

 of their vision. To fish down in clear water brings 

 him more under the observation of the trout, and 

 thereby lessens his chance of catching them ; for if 

 a fish get but a glimpse of the fisher, it will require 

 more than a deftly cast fly to reassure it that all's 

 well. Of course the angler is more conspicuous 

 on the bank than when wading ; but even in the 

 latter case, he should remember that the sharp eye 

 of the fish serves it well, not only by direct vision 

 to see the angler's feet in its own element, but 

 also, through the influence of refraction, to discern 

 strange appearances above it. In a black water 

 the trout cannot, of course, see so well, and in that 

 case the angler may fish down with less risk of 

 being observed. 



The reason why so many anglers prefer to fish 

 down in all conditions of water is simply that they 

 find it easier to do so. And no doubt fishing up- 

 stream is more difficult than fishing down. Even 

 if we take no account of the greater physical exer- 

 tion required to wade against the current, success- 



