236 SALMON AND TROUT. 



a heap for yards before it begins to fish, the disadvantages of 

 which I have already stated. I have seen many salmon fisher- 

 men having taken- a downward step and made their cast, take 

 one or two more steps forward, without being apparently aware 

 of it. This is one instance of the bad habits a young fisherman 

 may get into, and which he may never be able to break him- 

 self of. These are small things in themselves, but, nevertheless, 

 are apt to mar his sport to a degree he is quite unaware of. 



When a fish rises to a fly, it is best to wait about thirty 

 seconds before throwing over him again, and the angler should 

 remain stationary and shorten his line a yard or so, by pulling 

 it through the rings of the rod, and not by winding it up with 

 the reel. He should then commence throwing over the fish 

 again with the shortened line, letting out the slack until the 

 exact length is cast which rose the fish. If he does not rise 

 him again, a smaller fly may be tried of the same pattern, and, if 

 needs be, one of another pattern. If this should prove unsuc- 

 cessful, the fish may be left alone for a quarter of an hour or 

 twenty minutes, the angler continuing to fish the pool down and 

 returning to try his luck again in about that time. He should 

 first, however, in case he is fishing from a bank, make a mark 

 with his heel on the spot where he stood when the fish rose, 

 or, if wading, take some bearings by which he may recover the 

 place where he was standing. He should then try the fly that 

 rose the fish in the first instance, and if he is not successful 

 after one change, he may leave the fish for good. 



If, when fishing a pool, several fish rise, but the majority of 

 them are only pricked and not hooked, it may be taken for 

 granted the fly is too large, and the pool should be fished over 

 again with a smaller one. It may be that the colour of the fly 

 is not suitable to the state of the sky, or that it is too easily 

 seen, and has made the fish somewhat shy. If this should be 

 the opinion of the angler, he can change his fly for one of 

 another colour. This is, however, all guess-work, and nothing 

 but long experience will be able to give any aid under such 

 circumstances. 



