ON TROUTING WITH THE FLY 107 



where a trout may be lying, fish most carefully the 

 part of the pool where the shallow merges into the 

 deep, and where the current is moderately strong ; 

 fishing it in the same manner as you would do the 

 opposite side, and always as you go up taking a cast 

 or two straight up, as close to the edge as possible. 



On all occasions cast your flies about a yard above 

 where you think the trout are likely to be found, as 

 if on alighting it attracts their attention, there is 

 much less chance of their discovering its artificial 

 nature at that distance. For the same reason, if you 

 see a trout rise at a natural fly throw above it, and 

 in general it will meet the fly half-way. If a trout 

 rise and you miss it, cast again, and continue doing 

 so until it ceases to rise ; a small trout will fre- 

 quently rise four or five times in succession ; but 

 the large well-conditioned fish are more wary, and 

 if they miss once or twice will sometimes decline 

 returning, however temptingly you may throw your 

 flies. 



A breezy day is generally considered favourable 

 for fly-fishing, and no doubt it is so if the wind is 

 blowing up stream ; but it is equally likely that it 

 may be blowing down it generally blows either up 

 or down, very seldom across in which case the 

 angler would be very much better without it. 

 Because the wind is blowing down, the angler 

 should on no account fish in the same direction, 

 but must endeavour to cast against it as well as he 

 can. He may, however, stand a little farther back 

 from the water, and fish more nearly opposite to 



