ERRORS OF FLY-FISHERS. 63 



that they are not inclined to starve in these cir- 

 cumstances. 



When the water is of a dark colour, it conceals 

 the angler from view, and disguises his tackle, and 

 so he meets with fair sport. If the body of water, 

 though clear, is sufficiently large to conceal him 

 from the sight of the trout, as in Tweed, Tay, and 

 other first-class streams, he may still meet with 

 tolerable success. But in all our small rivers and 

 waters, when they are low and clear, not one angler 

 out of twenty meets with much sport, and the 

 reason of it is, because the clearness of the water 

 either allows the trout to see him, or enables them 

 to detect the artificial nature of his lure ; arid to 

 meet these difficulties as far as possible is the great 

 object to be aimed at in fly-fishing. 



The great error of fly-fishing, as usually practised, 

 and as recommended to be practised by books, is 

 that the angler fishes down stream, whereas he 

 should fish up. 



We believe we are not beyond the mark in 

 stating that ninety-nine anglers out of a hundred 

 fish down with the artificial fly ; they never think 

 of fishing in any other way, and never dream of 

 attributing their want of success to it. Yet we are 

 prepared to prove, both in theory and practice, 

 that this is the greatest reason of their want of 

 success in clear waters. In all our angling excur- 

 sions we have only met one or two amateurs and 

 a few professionals, who fished up stream with the 



