FLIES AND FLY FISHING. 13 



1st Snow in tlie water. 



2ndly Sheep washing above where you intend fishing. 



3rdly A cold easterly wind. 



4thly Heavy rain overhead, or soon coming down. 

 In the first two cases you hardly ever rise fish at all. 

 The last two are very undesirable, but I should never 

 despair on account of them, having often had good sport 

 under both circumstances ; but if there is a flood coming 

 down, fish seem to have a foreknowledge of it, and leave 

 off rising long before it does come, and fish (grayling 

 especially) generally cease rising whilst a thunderstorm is 

 overhead ; but with trout there are sometimes exceptions 

 to this. Weather, therefore, is a matter that should not 

 bias you ; but the condition of the water is of the greatest 

 importance. Water is in the very best possible condition 

 for the fly when it is clear, and neither too high nor too 

 low, and which has remained undisturbed, neither rising 

 nor falling abruptly for several days ; but fish will tako 

 the fly if properly presented to them in much more colored 

 water than is generally supposed. The man who com- 

 bines bottom with fly fishing never discovers this, for 

 immediately the water becomes at all colored, he takes to 

 worm fishing, and in most cases is glad of the opportunity 

 or excuse, for I believe it to be nearly always the case 



