94 TROUT LORE 



rent adds its strength to that of the fish, there is 

 but one thing for the rodster to do the behest 

 of the current. To attempt to swing a pound 

 trout free of the water, even supposing you are 

 using a rod fitted to the work, is very foolish: 

 the chances are good to lose a leader or at least 

 the fly. Take time and work the fish into some 

 little pool or back-water from which you can lift 

 him with the net. Take ample time. Work 

 slowly. Do not get excited. (There is no 

 danger of that, of course!) 



I presume we may not understand clearly just 

 why trout love to lie in the rapids. In hot 

 weather, when the streams are low, they undoubt- 

 edly seek such localities because the water is more 

 thoroughly aerated. When we find them lying 

 at the foot or side of foaming rapids it is prob- 

 ably because they find the location good for food 

 hunting, the current bringing down with it in- 

 sects, worms, bugs and all manner of fish del- 

 icacies. Upon the other hand, during bright, 

 warm days in early spring we sometimes find 

 trout lying out in the shallow rapids, hardly deep 

 enough or possessed of water enough to be called 

 rapids, rather ripples. What are they doing? 

 "Sunning themselves," the older anglers tell us, 

 and for want of a better reason we may as well 



