BROOKS, POOLS, STILL-WATERS 4 9 



tion returns to his laii. It is necessary to strike at the 

 psychological moment. The tendency is to strike too 

 quickly, a better fault than to strike too late. If the 

 rise is missed, it is well not to re-cast immediately, but 

 to rest the pool for a few moments, a matter, by the 

 way, requiring no little self-restraint in case the rising 

 fish is a large one. 



Should the pool be a small one it is probable that 

 one trout only is resident. But if the pool is spacious, 



with many submerged logs and rocks, 

 T^^T* a with shady caves beneath overhanging 



banks, or other ambushes beloved by 

 trout, it is quite probable that several fish are located 

 there. If you would land more than one of them you 

 must be careful to land that one quietly and with the 

 least possible disturbance. Restrict his play to the limit 

 of tackle safety and beach or net him without noise. 

 If you are successful in this the pool may yield a brace 

 or two of good fish. At times casting from the head of 

 the pool raises no fish, but if you go around and cast 

 from below you will often cause one to change his 

 mind. Every pool is best fished from both above and 

 below. 



In the matter of flies the residents of the pool are 

 discriminating in the highest degree. Day and night 



myriads of insects swarm over the still 



waters. Grasshoppers and crickets sui- 

 cide continually from the bank ; grubs drop down from 

 the trees; the riffles and rapids deposit a varied menu 

 in the temporary, resting place of the pool. As a con- 

 sequence of this glut of good things the fish are apt to 



