SINKING THE FLY. 175 



the morning ; for although there was a good breeze on, and 

 a fair show of fly (yellow dun), the fish appeared to take 

 very badly, though they rose well enough. I had cast my 

 fly into the water, and having to light my pipe, I allowed 

 the fly to sink to the bottom; when I recommenced, I 

 raised the point of the rod to withdraw the tackle, but the 

 line was too long and dragged, and I fancied it had taken 

 hold of a weed. I then took the line in by hand, and 

 found that, instead of being caught in a weed, the fly had 

 been picked up by a good fish. I struck him with the 

 hand, and played him with the rod, and eventually killed 

 him. The hint was not lost on me : I had thrown over a 

 good fish some seven yards above, not five minutes before > 

 and he had risen and refused ; I now cast over him again, 

 and allowed the fly to sink to mid-water, when he took it 

 directly, and I killed him. I then tried some other fish, 

 which I had previously been fishing over futilely ; and,, 

 following the same plan, I rose and hooked six brace of 

 capital fish of from one and a quarter to two pounds each, 

 killing four brace of them, and losing two brace owing to 

 my hook having sprung in striking a good fish on some 

 bony part of the mouth. I had only killed two small fish 

 during the whole of the morning previously. The fish 

 were evidently feeding either upon drowned flies (though 

 these would hardly sink, I fancy) or upon larvae, rising 

 from the bottom to hatch out ; anyhow, they were feeding 

 boldly in mid-water and very shy on the surface. 



I may state here, that in deep pools and mill-heads na 

 plan is so killing as to suffer the fly to sink to the bottom, 

 and then to work it with short sharp shoots up to the sur- 

 face. Whether the fish mistake it for the larva of some 

 fly, or some other water-insect, or a fly striving to get to 

 the surface, or what they may suppose it to be, I cannot 

 say. I only know that this is a very killing plan ; and 

 many a good dish of fish have I picked up thus, when I 



