LARGER TROUT CAUGHT BY FISHING UP. 69 



angler from view ; and even then he may have 

 much better sport by fishing up. The angler 

 drawing his flies across and up stream will catch 

 trout, and this is the strongest evidence that trout 

 are not such profound philosophers as the notions 

 of some would lead us to suppose. But though 

 he does catch trout, they are in general the very 

 smallest. Indeed, the advantages of fishing up 

 are in nothing more apparent than in the superior 

 size of the trout captured. We believe they will 

 average nearly double the size of those caught with 

 the same flies fishing down, and though generally 

 not so large as those taken with the worm, they 

 are not much behind them, and we almost invari- 

 ably kill a few larger trout in a river with the fly 

 than with the worm. 



Though our remarks in this chapter have princi- 

 pally reference to angling in small rivers, where 

 fishing up is essential to success, the same arguments 

 hold good in every size or colour of water in a less 

 degree, as, even though the trout cannot see the 

 angler, the other advantages which we have men- 

 tioned are still in his favour. 



If we were fishing a large river when it was 

 dark-coloured, and required to wade deep, we should 

 fish down, because the fatigue of wading up would, 

 under such circumstances, become a serious draw- 

 back. In such a case we fish in the following man- 

 ner : Throwing our flies, partly up and partly 

 across from where we are standing, we allow them 



