200 FLY-FISHING FOR TROUT AND GRAYLING. 



of sport, meteorological changes and influences 

 should also be noted by the observant student. To 

 some it is not known that the temperature of the 

 water is most frequently responsible for bad " taking " 

 days ; we habitually carry a small instrument, by no 

 means generally used by the fisherman, we refer to a 

 small pocket thermometer. This proves most useful 

 in ascertaining the temperature of the water, either at 

 the surface or at the bottom. By the use of such an 

 instrument the observant angler soon learns that when 

 the water is of unusually low temperature, the moving 

 fish will be rare, notwithstanding the favourable atmos- 

 pheric temperature. When the air is cold and the water 

 proves at a higher degree than common, the fish will 

 be certain to be more or less on the feed ; but when 

 both atmosphere and water are genial, every descrip- 

 tion of fish will be found to be upon the " forage " for 

 prey, if not satiated by some proper food supply. 

 The observant fisherman upon any particular water 

 soon finds out much more to guide him in his choice 

 of fishing. The water of different rivers and streams, 

 as a matter of course, varies, and the fisher in any 

 particular water should ascertain precisely, not only 

 the prevailing temperature of the water, but that in 

 which the fish feed most eagerly, as also when it is 

 useless trying to tempt them to " rise " or " run." 

 The old nostrums anent weather wisdom are mainly 

 inaccuracies. In the coldest eastern or north-eastern 

 wind we have killed repeatedly many a fine basket of 

 fish, owing to the temperature of the water being 

 high and unusually genial from some cause or other. 



