364 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 



As far as feeling him was concerned, he might as well 

 have been in another county ; then the eclipse of the fly 

 alone indicates that he has it, and you must act without 

 the delay of a fraction of a second or the chance is gone. 



Locate your boat first, if you fish from a boat, as is 

 there usual, passing over barren water if possible, and 

 as slowly and noiselessly as though paddling up on a 

 deer ; or, if your stand is ashore, take your stand. 

 Then allow some minutes to elapse that any alarm oc- 

 casioned by your approach may subside, after which 

 begin. Start at about thirty or thirty-five feet, and cast 

 around your position, directing the fly at each cast about 

 six feet to one side of where it last fell, and so cover the 

 water like the rays of a fan. When one circuit has been 

 completed without a rise, lengthen out about six feet, 

 and beginning at the same starting-point repeat. Con- 

 tinue this until you have all the line out you can cast 

 perfectly straight every time, and do not go a single 

 foot beyond. Should, however, a distant rise be seen, 

 yet within reach, go for it, but in the following manner : 

 Lengthen the line in the usual way, but without allow- 

 ing the fly to touch the water. When enough line to 

 reach is out, let the fly settle, and elevating the point of 

 the rod well, reel slowly in. To retrieve the line by the 

 back cast will be impossible, if the fly is left long enough 

 in the water to tempt the fish. I repeat, in this fishing 

 more than any other, it is indispensable to success that 

 the line fall absolutely straight. The fish will not hook 

 itself, nor will it afford time to gather slack line before 

 it rejects the fly. 



Nor should discouragement follow because success is 

 deferred. In the month of September, as far as I have 

 been able to observe, these large trout are in almost con- 



