FAVOURABLE WEATHER FOR FISHING. 157 



during what is usually called the time of the take, 

 which generally happens in the early part of the 

 day, and may be known by seeing the trout rising 

 in numbers. It is evidently then that they are 

 feeding, and they will take almost anything, but 

 they leave off very suddenly, and we have been 

 catching at the rate of three dozen trout an hour 

 with the worm, when all at once, in the very best 

 part of the water, they ceased taking our bait, and 

 also rising at the natural insect, and for the next 

 half hour we hardly stirred a fin. After a time of 

 almost total stoppage, they will resume again, but 

 not so freely as before. 



A showery day with occasional sunshine, or an 

 altogether sunny one without a cloud, is most 

 favourable, but an entirely wet day is also very 

 good. Very good sport may be had in calm 

 thundery weather even with that bugbear "white 

 clouds " in the sky, as also in blowy wet weather ; 

 but good sport is rarely to be met with on a dark 

 windy day without rain, and the worst of all is a 

 bright sky with a few clouds, and strong west 

 wind. In such a day, early morning is the best 

 time. A clear cloudless sky generally indicates a 

 degree of frost in the atmosphere ; and when this 

 is the case, the trout do not take readily in the 

 morning, until the heat of the sun begins to be 

 felt. During the months of June and July we 

 have frequently found that we could depend more 



