Favorite Fish and Fishing 



than reliable information in a case like this. 

 Nevertheless fly-fishers should consider 

 that a " condition, not a theory," confronts 

 them in the rising or non-rising of a trout 

 to an artificial fly, and should endeavor to 

 ascertain, if such be possible, just what con- 

 ditions are present to account for the pecu- 

 liar actions, at different times, of those elu- 

 sive creatures of the adipose fin, that 

 according to popular opinion seem to have 

 a.s many moods as specks or spots. 



A Probable There is one feature of this subject, how- 



ever, that I have never known to be alluded 

 to, which is this: That the rising or non- 

 rising of trout may depend on the scarcity 

 or abundance of the fish. In regions where 

 trout are unusually abundant I have never, 

 in my experience, known them to fail to 

 rise to the artificial fly, at any time of day, 

 or under almost any condition of wind or 

 weather. It is only in sections that are 

 much fished, and fish consequently scarce, 

 or " educated, " as some term it for want of 

 a better reason, that trout fail to respond 

 to the solicitations of the fly-fisher. 

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