TROUT AND THE WEATHER 31 



the big fellows that lie on the bottom and feed 

 upon the earthworms which the downpouring 

 rain washes into the creek. Such fishing is pre- 

 eminently worm-fishing; the large fish will not 

 as a rule rise to the surface under such conditions 

 indeed, the water is too roily for a trout to see 

 a fly. For fly-fishing, the best sort of weather 

 is the very best that Nature can manufacture, 

 clear sky with fleecy clouds now and then shut- 

 ting out the sun. Ofttimes when the sun is 

 dazzlingly brilliant trout will not rise to the 

 feathers, but when a shadow cast by a cloud 

 crosses the water, they will display unusual 

 activity. If the sky be clear and the water 

 placid the angler must employ all the skill he 

 possesses if he hopes not to alarm the fish; but 

 more about hot weather fishing in a later chapter 

 when we shall discuss trout and grasshoppers. 

 This, then, is my conclusion: fair and beautiful 

 weather for this beautiful and fair fish. 



Referring again to an ancient belief mentioned 

 before in this chapter, "Trout will not bite dur- 

 ing a thunderstorm." The theory is that the 

 reverberations of the thunder cause the earth to 

 tremble and the disturbance is of course com- 

 municated to the water and the fish are fright- 

 ened. It is a very plausible theory. However, 



