THE BROOK TROUT. 139 



rising often, endeavor to drop your fly directly in the 

 centre of the circle where he bells up, and if it alights 

 lightly and gently on the water, he will pretty certainly 

 take it. If he takes it just as it strikes the water, or 

 just as it is leaving it, when you are withdrawing it for 

 another cast that is, when your line is perfectly straight 

 and tight, he will hook himself; otherwise it is neces- 

 sary to strike him, which is done by a very slight inde- 

 scribable inward turn of the wrist ; when he is struck, 

 the great secret of playing and killing him is to make 

 him fight his hardest for every inch of line you give him, 

 never to give him one which he does not take, and to 

 miss no opportunity, when his run is over for the mo- 

 ment, and he is weakened, to reel in as fast as you may 

 without overstraining ; always endeavor to carry him 

 down stream, as the gills are so closed by the action of 

 the water, and his breathing is impeded. If he is mak- 

 ing for a stone or piles whereon your tackle would prob- 

 ably be broken, or down a fall, so that you must turn or 

 lose him, advance your butt, inclining your rod quite 

 backward over the right shoulder, so as to make him 

 take the full strain and leverage of the whole length of 

 your rod ; when he is dead beat, draw him warily and 

 gently into the shoal water, or to your boat side, slip 

 your landing-net under, or your gaff into him, and he 

 is yours. 



If he be above two pounds weight, stun him with a 

 blow on the head, crossing by a series of cuts parallel to 



