22 THE BRITISH ANGLER'S LEXICON. 



as enticing to the trout. Perhaps on the first cast a trout 

 rises ; if so, do not get excited and give the rod a great 

 upward jerk, as so many do, but calmly and deliberately 

 make a slight upward twisting motion of the wrist, which, if 

 done at the right time, is quite sufficient to send home the 

 sharp barbed hook into the fish's jaw, and you have him 

 on. And now comes the play if he be a small fish, reel the 

 line up slowly and steadily until you can place the landing 

 net under and lift him out ; but if he is a fish, of three 

 quarters of a pound or even half a pound, you must humour 

 him a bit, and give some little time to exhaust his energy, 

 bearing in mind to be firm, to keep a tight line, and 

 allow the rod to play the fish, which its pliancy will or 

 ought to do. Keep the point of the rod well up. If he is a 

 strong fish, let him have a little line, but recover what he 

 takes out the moment he slackens speed ; increase the 

 upward movement of the rod, which is technically called 

 " giving the butt," and sail him steadily into the net, 

 which you have already sunk in the w r ater with the left 

 hand. If the fish " splutters " on the surface of the water, 

 he is trying to get rid of the hook by breaking it with 

 his tail allow the fish to sink for a moment, keeping a 

 tight line at same time. Remember the tackle is light, and 

 although in careful hands it might play and capture a good- 

 sized salmon, in careless hands it w r ill give way with a trout 

 of four ounces ; no jerking, but gentle humouring with eye 

 and hand, and let the rod do the work. Watch its motions, 

 and it will give pleasure as well as instruction. Having 

 landed the fish and given him a knock on the head, carefully 

 release the hook ; if it is caught in the tongue or deeply 

 buried in the gullet or the jaw, cut it out with the point of a 

 sharp knife or a pair of scissors do not force it out with the 



