Conditions necessary to Success. 129 



in existence, the habits as well as the habitats of 

 the fish at that season, the state of the weather and 

 the condition of the water, the nature of the channel 

 and the direction and force of the wind, besides 

 a host of minor considerations which experience 

 may act upon, though it cannot always tabulate 

 all must enter into his calculations of the chances of 

 success, quite apart from any practical skill in mere 

 casting. The importance of the wind element has 

 already been shown. In an appendix will be found 

 a statement of the winds most favourable for up- 

 stream fishing on all the main reaches of the Clyde 

 and the Tweed. It may be found useful to the be- 

 ginner. For, with a knowledge of the direction or 

 set of the stream, and the quarter from which the 

 wind is blowing in the morning, the angler may 

 generally be able to map out mentally the section 

 of the water he should select for the day, so as 

 to reap the full benefit of fishing up-stream. 



In bringing to a close these desultory remarks on 

 artificial-fly fishing, I desire to record, as the con- 

 viction of a life-experience, that no other method of 

 angling can at all compare with it, either in respect 

 to the skill and knowledge required in its exercise, 

 or the results which it is calculated to yield. A 

 very moderate angler may soon become tolerably 

 successful in the practice of minnow-fishing and 

 worm-fishing down -stream, but it is in artificial- 



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