96 Artificial- Fly Fishing. 



a hint from the fish as well as from a brother 

 fisher ; for, if the trout are rising at all, they them- 

 selves will afford him sufficient indications of the 

 proper spots over which he should cast. As a gen- 

 eral rule, the moderately deep water near the banks, 

 and the stream from its tail to its head, are the 

 favourite haunts of trout; but they will also be 

 found throughout the season in water where the 

 shallow merges into the deep, in reaches where the 

 stream is divided by an island or other obstruction, 

 in quiet water beyond a stream or between two 

 streams, in eddies behind stones, and in the main 

 current itself. 



The season of the year and the condition of the 

 water will determine very much where trout will 

 be found. But another and very important con- 

 sideration is the direction of the wind. With the 

 wind from the channel the angler may rely on 

 finding the trout at the bank side, feeding on the 

 flies which have been wafted thither ; but if the 

 wind blow towards the channel, he need not fish 

 that portion of the water, but should pass on, and 

 fish the bends where the wind blows towards the 

 bank. There will always be reaches in the river 

 where the angler will get the wind in this most 

 favourable direction. A wind blowing directly up 

 stream will be greatly to his advantage; for then 

 the flies, acted on by the two opposing forces of 



