THE BRITISH ANGLER'S LEXICON. 247 



are devouring, and the striking must be as quick as thought, 

 as they seem at that time to be particularly careful not to 

 get hold of anything objectionable. They rise and rise, 

 and will not hook, and the angler flogs and changes his 

 flies, and sits down hopeless smokes and meditates 

 upon the uncertainty of things in this world, and tries 

 again, until he finally goes home disgusted with fish and 

 fishing and everything connected with either. The dry or 

 floating fly, very small, is the only chance, and even it is 

 uncertain when this state of things occurs. When a trout is 

 seen rising persistently in one spot, he is worth looking 

 after, and special arrangements should be made to capture 

 him. In the first place, the fly that he is taking should be 

 found out, and one picked out of the fly book that will 

 match ; the finest cast should then be set up and this 

 fly put on as the tail, either with one or two droppers, 

 but it will do equally well if alone on the cast. The 

 distance to the rising fish should be measured with the eye, 

 and a corresponding length of line drawn off the reel and 

 whipped on the water away from where the fish is, so that 

 the proper length may be judged as accurately as possible. 

 When this is arrived at, give one nice, even, light cast 

 about one foot above the rising fish ; raise the rod slightly, 

 to lift any slack line behind the fly, and let the latter 

 sail quietly over him, when very probably he will confidingly 

 take it the first time of asking. If he does not, withdraw 

 the fly, keep quiet in the same place, and after he rises 

 again, perhaps a foot further up or down, try the same 

 cast again, when success may this time crown your efforts. 

 The fish may be rising in an awkward spot, under a 

 bush, or near a sunken tree, or beside the arches of a 

 bridge. All these surroundings must be considered with 



