THE FLY FISHER'S GUIDE. 49 



ruffled, by the fish rising, must be carefully 

 watched for by the fisherman, as at that critical 

 instant he must strike, in order to hook his prey; 

 for the fish having discovered the deceit, the least 

 delay will enable it to escape. A very slight 

 inclination or turn of the hand is sufficient to 

 fix the barb of the hook, as if too great violence 

 be used, the hook or line will be greatly endan- 

 gered, and the water disturbed by the mad strug- 

 gles of the lacerated sufferer. 



If the fish be of good size, and the hook be 

 firmly fixed, the first consideration is to keep the 

 rod upright ; or even, by forcing the butt for- 

 ward, to throw the point of it over the shoulder 

 of the angler, which will tend greatly to fatigue 

 the fish, if it should not be necessary to give it 

 additional line from the reel. When found to be' 

 sufficiently exhausted, it must be either taken out 

 of the water by means of a landing-net, or drawn 

 on to a shelving gravel-patch or bank. 



When the rod is greatly agitated by the strug- 

 gling of the fish, it is advisable to give it a greater 



H 



