FLY FISHING. 83 



also worthy of notice, that the angler who 

 fishes at bottom, has many months and days 

 in the year when the fish will so feed, conse- 

 quently he has frequent opportunities of enjoy- 

 ing his amusement when the fly fisherman is 

 entirely deprived of the chance of sport by 

 very cold, or wet weather, the winter season, 

 &c. Many good Jack and Pike are taken at 

 Christmas, but at that season of the year 

 neither Trout or Chub are likely to rise for a 

 fly, however skilfully made or thrown. Fly 

 fishing certainly partakes more of science than 

 bottom fishing, and of course requires much 

 time, study, and practice, before the angler 

 can become any thing like an adept at making 

 or casting a fly ; indeed, artificial fly fishing 

 is difficult to learn, and more difficult to de- 

 scribe. The young angler will gain more in- 

 formation on the subject by attending a fly 

 fisherman a few months, while he is following 

 the amusement, than he can by perusing all 

 the works ever written on the subject ; how- 

 ever, I will endeavour to direct him in the 



