58 THE PRACTICAL ANGLER 



the angler fishes down stream, whereas he should 

 fish up. 



We believe we are not beyond the mark in stating 

 that ninety-nine anglers out of a hundred fish down 

 with the artificial fly ; they never think of fishing 

 in any other way, and never dream of attributing 

 their want of success to it. Yet we are prepared 

 to prove, both in theory and practice, that this is 

 the greatest reason of their want of success in clear 

 waters. In all our angling excursions we have only 

 met one or two amateurs and a few professionals, 

 who fished up stream with the fly, and used it in 

 a really artistic manner. If the wind is blowing 

 up, anglers will occasionally fish up the pools 

 (as for fishing up a strong stream they never think 

 of it) but even then they do not do it properly, 

 and meet with little better success than if they had 

 followed their usual method. They will also^ if 

 going to some place up a river, walk up, not fish 

 up to it their plan being to go to the top of a 

 pool, and then fish it down, never casting their line 

 above them at all. 



We shall now mention in detail the advantages 

 of fishing up, in order to show its superiority over 

 the old method. 



The first and greatest advantage is, that the 

 angler is unseen by the trout. Trout, as is well 

 known, keep their heads up stream ; they cannot 

 remain stationary in any other position. This being 

 the case, they see objects above and on both sides 

 of them, but cannot discern anything behind them, 



