102 THE PRACTICAL ANGLER 



seize the fly without breaking the surface, and the 

 first intimation the angler gets of their presence is 

 a slight pull at the line. The utmost attention is 

 therefore necessary to strike the moment the least 

 motion is either seen or felt. This is in some 

 measure owing to the flies being in general a little 

 under water, but principally to the fact that trout 

 take a fly coming down stream in a quieter and 

 more deadly manner than a fly going up. Seeing 

 it going across and up stream, they seem afraid it 

 may escape, make a rush at it, and in their hurry 

 to seize, very frequently miss it altogether. It is 

 very different in angling up stream : the trout see the 

 fly coming towards them, rise to meet it, and seize 

 it without any dash, but in a firm deadly manner. 



When you hook a trout, if it is a small one and 

 you are not wading, pull it on shore at once ; if you 

 are wading, it is better to act upon the maxim that 

 " a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush," and 

 come on shore before taking it off the hook, as it is 

 very dangerous doing so when in the water. When 

 you hook a large trout, which you cannot pull on 

 shore at once, but require to exhaust previously, 

 pull it down stream, as, in addition to choking it 

 sooner, you have the force of the current in your 

 favour. In playing a trout, do so as much as pos- 

 sible by keeping up with it by walking, and never 

 let out line if you can avoid it. It is obvious that 

 with a long line you cannot have the same command 

 over it as with a short one ; and take care never to 

 allow your line to get slack, as if you do, and the 



