BROOK TROUT AND FLY-CASTER 19 



part of June and in summer, an overcast day is far the 

 best. 



Other things being equal, the angler who is most 

 skilled in striking his fish will have a much heavier 

 creel than the one less proficient in this respect. To 

 connect consistently with rising trout demands cool 

 nerves and the quickest of eyes and wrist. The strike 

 must come at just the proper time and with just the 

 proper degree of force. The too strenuous strike will 

 tear the hook away from the fish. 



It is a better fault to strike too quickly than too late. 

 If you strike too quickly the trout will be missed clean 

 and not pricked, and will often rise again, but if the 

 strike is delayed and the fish has the chance to mouth the 

 fly he will instantly eject it and will certainly not rise 

 again. Strike with the wrist only at the first suspicion 

 of a rising fish you can hardly strike too quickly and 

 with a degree of force in proportion to your tackle and 

 the trout; large trout should be struck good and hard. 

 In the rapids trout will often hook themselves; it is 

 when fishing the still pools and reaches of quiet water 

 that skilled striking is at a premium. 



Do not hurry about landing the fish. Let him run, 

 always keeping a taut line and steering him away from 

 the danger spots, until he is pretty well played out ; then 

 lead him to the landing net in some quiet side eddy, or 

 beach him on some sloping bar. When using the net 

 have it submerged and lead the fish over it. To do 

 this effectively you should be down-stream from the fish 

 so that the current will float the fish over the net in- 

 stead of away from it. 



