ON TROUTING WITH THE FLY 101 



water, and throw it a considerable distance behind 

 them. Now this is much too hard, and very apt 

 with a small hook to tear it away from its hold, 

 should it have any. Striking should be done by a 

 slight but quick motion of the wrist, not by any 

 motion of the arm. The angler should also take 

 care to strike in the same direction as his rod is 

 moving in at the time, for if he raises his rod, or 

 otherwise alters its direction, the effect will not be 

 nearly so immediate, and a moment is of the utmost 

 importance in this matter. 



One advantage of striking is, that should the 

 trout miss the fly it rises at, the angler has still a 

 chance of coming across it with some of the remain- 

 ing ones. In a day's fishing we have frequently 

 killed half a dozen trout hooked by the sides and 

 other parts. And a trout hooked in this way always 

 runs twice as hard as one hooked in the mouth. 

 When hooked in the mouth, the strain that is kept 

 on it prevents it from moving its gills, and suffoca- 

 tion ensues. This takes place sooner when the trout 

 is drawn down a strong stream ; so that the popular 

 notion of pulling a trout down the water to drown 

 it is correct, though the word is rather misapplied. 

 If the trout is hooked by the outside of the body, 

 the respiratory organs are left free, enabling it to 

 run a long time ; and when it does come to the side, 

 the angler is disappointed at the small size of a fish 

 which has been making such a desperate struggle. 



In fishing up, the rise of a trout is by no means 

 so distinct as in fishing down. They frequently 



