"TIME OF THE TAKE." 123 



when they were on the water we got a rise almost 

 every cast, and when they went away we hardly 

 got another trout. 



This is what is popularly known as "the time 

 of the take," and occurs more or less, at some time 

 of the day, the whole season through. The leap- 

 ing of the trout in all directions at once informs 

 the angler when it commences, and he should make 

 the most of his time. It sometimes happens several 

 times during the day, but rarely lasts more than an 

 hour at a time, and stops as suddenly as it com- 

 mences. It is only during the take that a trout 

 can be caught in very deep water, as it is only then 

 they are hovering near the surface on the outlook 

 for flies. Once it is over they retire to the bottom 

 and there lie ; and if the water is very deep they 

 may not be able to see the angler's flies, or if they 

 do, cannot be troubled to rise and seize them ; so 

 that when trout are not taken freely, the angler 

 will always meet with most success in compara- 

 tively shallow water. 



In April the angler must look for sport in the 

 pools, as the trout are not yet strong enough to lie 

 in the streams, and therefore it is of no use fishing 

 in them. There are some parts of a pool in which 

 trout are, at all seasons, more likely to be found 

 than in others. There are always plenty of them 

 lying in the shallow water at the pool-foot, which 

 if there is a ripple on it, will be found the best 

 place of all. Passing up to the deeper portions of 



