A ngling in Clear Water. 209 



This lure, like others, is fished up-stream in clear 

 water and bright sunshine. The weather here is 

 an important factor, for with the water low, trout 

 do not " take " well on a dull day, probably for the 

 reason that when there is a play of sunlight on the 

 surface, they are not so able to discern the snares 

 that are laid for them below. The same necessity 

 for sunshine exists when fishing with the artificial 

 fly up a stream with a gravelly bed, as in the upper 

 reaches of the Clyde; but where the river has a 

 dark rocky channel, sunshine is not desirable. 



Trouting up-stream with minnow, as with worm, 

 in clear water, requires more skill than fishing down. 

 The angler has to exercise more judgment in the 

 selection of his water, and a greater vigilance in 

 playing his lure. He must keep the minnow spin- 

 ning more rapidly, to prevent it from sinking too 

 far, and be ever on the alert to watch for, and 

 respond to, the attack of the fish. These results 

 will be attained by practice, and little need be 

 added to what has been already said on the sub- 

 jects of spinning and striking. As in spinning 

 up-stream, the minnow is drawn more rapidly 

 than in spinning down and the faster the current, 

 the quicker is it drawn at each movement of the 

 wrist it will spin farther, and allow of fewer such 

 movements in the cast, some three or four being 

 sufficient to exhaust it. Besides, since it is not 

 o 



