IH HOW TO I -K THE CREEl'I.K. 



belly, and the insect hangs pretty straight upon tlu h..,.k, 

 the shank buried in the body, and but the point visil.lt. 

 Great care is required in casting, as the bait is very < rnlir, 

 and therefore the line should not greatly exceed the Im-i h 

 of the rod, unless the angler be very skilful. No shot is 

 necessary unless the water be heavy. In ordinary stiv; un- 

 it will sink to mid-water easily enough, where it will for 

 the most part be taken. If the water be heavy, however, 

 a single large shot will do. Bite it on a foot above the 

 hook. It is almost impossible to 6sh creepers properly 

 without wading. Enter the stream, stooping cautiously if 

 the water happen to be very open and thin, and cast up- 

 wards and outwards, letting the bait come down almost 

 level with the place where you stand, lifting the bait 

 by raising the point of the rod slightly now and then, if 

 you have reason to suppose that it is getting near the 

 bottom, taking a careful step, or even two, upwards, at 

 every cast or so. Try the edges of streams just out of the 

 rough water, the turn of an eddy, the eye of the stream, 

 and where it commences to turn off under overhanging 

 banks or trees with a fair stream under them, the tails of 

 rough pools anywhere where good fish may be on the 

 watch, save still water, where it is next to useless to try 

 it. The eye should detect the bite before the hand does. 

 If you wait for the hand to denote to you the 'jog, jog ' a 

 good trout gives when he takes a bait, ten to one you will 

 be too late. As the bait never does, or never ought to, touch 

 the bottom (as, being so tender, it is very soon destroyed), 

 the instant the line checks as it come down stream towards 

 you don't wait to wonder what it might be, but strike. The 

 loss or damage of your bait is certain in either case, 

 whether you have a bite and miss it, or whether you take 

 hold of a stick, weed, or stone, so you may as well strike 

 and chance it. Do not strike too hard. Strike quickly, 

 lightly, and firmly ; and as the best fish come at thf3 



