62 THE PRACTICAL ANGLER 



wrist, which imparts a similar motion to the fly. 

 Their object in doing this is to create an appearance 

 of life, and thus render their flies more attractive. 

 An appearance of life is certainly a great temptation 

 to a trout, but it may be much better accomplished 

 by dressing the flies of soft materials, which the 

 water can agitate, and thus create a natural motion 

 of the legs or wings of the fly, than by dragging 

 them by jumps of a foot at a time across and up a 

 roaring stream. Trout are not accustomed to see 

 small insects making such gigantic efforts at escape, 

 and therefore it is calculated to awaken their 

 suspicions. 



We believe that all fly-fishers fishing down must 

 have noticed, that apart from the moment of 

 alighting, they get more rises for the first few yards 

 of their flies' course than in the whole^-of the re- 

 mainder ; and that when their flies fairly breast the 

 stream they seldom get a rise at all. The reason of 

 this is clear : for the first few feet after the angler 

 throws his flies across the stream they swim with the 

 current ; the moment, however, he begins to describe 

 his semicircle across the water, they present an un- 

 natural appearance, which the trout view with 

 distrust. Experienced fly-fishers following the old 

 method, who have observed this, and are aware of 

 the great importance of the moment their flies 

 alight, cast very frequently, only allowing their flies 

 to float down a few feet, when they throw again. 

 We have seen some Tweedside adepts fill capital 

 baskets in this way ; but, as we have before stated, 



