THE BRITISH ANGLER'S LEXICON. 9 



If you are provided with waders, and the river is not too 

 deep, get into the water at once, wading as quietly as 

 possible so as not to disturb the stretch, as the closer the 

 angler is to it, the less his figure shows ; he will very often 

 see small trout rise within a yard of him, if he stands 

 perfectly still. If the bank shelves at one side, and there is 

 a deep run at the other, creep down until the feet touch the 

 water, and, if possible, cast with a side switch into the 

 heavy stream ; this is usually a sure place for a trout. If a 

 fish is seen rising either above or below you, don't approach 

 it fair from either side ; leave the stream, right back into 

 the field, well out of sight ; walk parallel, at this distance, 

 with the river to the spot where the fish was, and creep or 

 crawl quietly back to the river side, a few yards behind the 

 spot marked. The fish may rise again, and you will have a 

 very good chance, if no awkward casting be made, of hooking 

 him any way. If bushes hang over the water, and prevent 

 the ordinary way of casting, shorten the line, coil it round 

 the top of rod, and protrude through any available opening 

 in the bushes ; uncoil the line and cast with low side switches, 

 when success may crown your efforts, as a difficult place 

 like this is seldom fished, and may hold a good trout that 

 -considers his fortress impregnable. The difficulty, however, 

 is not over when the fish is hooked ; it really only begins 

 then, as there is no proper way of landing him, and many a 

 good fish has been lost at this part of the performance. 

 The best chance is to lie down and force the body through 

 the bushes, keeping rod and arm well out, and allow the fish 

 to exhaust itself completely, when the line should be 

 shortened to its utmost limit, and try to get the landing net 

 under the fish ; here the assistance of a friend comes in 

 handy. As a rule, don't touch the line with the hand, or a 



