ARTIFICIAL FLY-FISHING 57 



of almost every trout in the water, and returns, if 

 not with an empty basket, at least with a very light 

 one, to confirm the prevailing opinion that it is of 

 no use fishing when the water is clear. If this 

 opinion were correct, it would limit the time when 

 angling could be successfully practised to a few weeks 

 in the season, and sometimes to a few days ; but 

 fortunately for the angler it is not correct, being 

 merely the natural result of a mode of angling 

 which ignores the habits and instincts of the trout. 

 Trout are just as much inclined to feed when the 

 waters are clear as when they are coloured. In a 

 clear water they may be seen rising in immense 

 numbers at the natural insect, showing that they are 

 not inclined to starve in these circumstances. 



When the water is of a dark colour, it conceals 

 the angler from view, and disguises his tackle, and 

 so he meets with fair sport. If the body of water, 

 though clear, is sufficiently large to conceal him from 

 the sight of the trout, as in Tweed, Tay, and other 

 first-class streams, he may still meet with tolerable 

 success. But in all our small rivers and waters, when 

 they are low and clear, not one angler out of twenty 

 meets with much sport, and the reason of it is, 

 because the clearness of the water either allows the 

 trout to see him, or enables them to detect the 

 artificial nature of his lure; and to meet these 

 difficulties as far as possible is the great object to 

 be aimed at in fly-fishing. 



The great error of fly-fishing, as usually practised, 

 and as recommended to be practised by books, is that 



