66 THE ART OF FISHING 



Endeavour to make your line in falling touch 

 the water first at about three yards above the fly 

 where the gut ought to begin, that the fly may 

 skip over the remaining distance, and gently fall 

 on the surface of the water, as the natural fly 

 would fall. Avoid drawing it as much as you can, 

 but let it sail down the stream as far as the length 

 of the line will admit ; then draw it towards you, 

 but not up the current ; across the water if possi- 

 ble, or diagonally if you cannot effect this ; for 

 the natural fly never swims up the stream. Some 

 good fishermen use three or four flies : I prefer to 

 employ one fly, a good end fly, of the season 

 many a good fish having been lost by the bob or 

 side-flies catching on a weed or a root, and fre- 

 quently on the landing net, thus preventing the 

 play of the rod. The plan may be all very well 

 when fishing for small fry, such as bleak, which 

 you can pull out at once without requiring the 

 aid of a landing net. Still, in the height of sum- 

 mer, when the weeds are prevalent, the plan is a 

 bad one. You may catch, it is true, two or even 

 three little fish at a time ; but still you may lose 

 many a " whopper " (as anglers style the heavier 

 fish) by your superfluous flies coming in contact 

 with roots or weeds. Look well to the joinings 

 of your gut, and do not trust to those, generally 



