170 LOOK TO YOUR HOOK. 



could not coax a single fish to come up to the surface. 

 In calm or hot weather it is a capital dodge. If there is 

 too much stream, bite a shot on the gut at the head of 

 the fly, and, if it savour not too much of taking a mean 

 advantage, put a gentle on the hook ; and if the pro- 

 prietor of the water does not look upon it as poaching 

 as 'aiblins* he may you will perhaps not regret the 

 addition. 



When the angler strikes a good fish at all heavily, and 

 loses it, he should always look at his hook. Had I done 

 so, when fishing as above, I should have saved two brace 

 of good fish. The hook will sometimes be found to have 

 lost the fine point, and sometimes to be bent outwards ; 

 and this is usually caused by its hitting obliquely on a 

 bone. When the first occurrence takes place, a touch 

 from a fine needle file will put a fresh point on ; but in 

 the second case the fly is useless, and no bending the hook 

 back to its place will render it either serviceable or reli- 

 able. Off with it, and put on another ; and lest it may 

 chance by any oversight to be put on again, break the fly 

 off and throw it away, or if the pattern be needed, break 

 the hook. 



I have mentioned fishing with the dry fly, and it is at 

 times an invaluable method. With the dry fly fish may 

 be killed on fine bright days, when the wet fly will be 

 almost useless. If the angler on a bright calm day will 

 notice the class of flies called duns, he will see how when 

 first hatched they come floating down with wings upright 

 and unsoiled, sitting lightly and cockily on the water 

 tempting morsels to the greedy fish. Few flies are then 

 to be found in a wet, half-drowned condition, and therefore, 

 if the angler sends one thus to the fish, it is frequently 

 neglected. Taking, then, two or three turns of the fly in 

 the air instead of one, so as to dry the tackle, let him de- 

 liver the fly straightly and well a yard above the fish, and 



