DOUBTS AND DIFFICULTIES. 59 



of strike was not nearly so effective as allowing 

 time for the fish to turn down after he had 

 risen and taken it. 



In making these experiments the one stood 

 upon a plank bridge just above the rising fish, 

 while the other threw floating flies over them 

 from a down stream position, and delayed making 

 the strike until he was told to do so. 



That was on a Devonshire river in quiet and 

 clear water. To give him time to close his 

 mouth upon the fly therefore sounds reasonable 

 under similar conditions. Of course in a cross- 

 stream cast with a long line out, the immediate 

 strike cannot be immediately communicated to 

 the fly, so that ' the time to close his mouth 

 upon it ' is given by the straightening of the 

 sag on the line as it is lifted from its curve in 

 the current. 



In casting for a trout rising above one, a 

 first class rod on the Itchen gave me his recipe, 

 which was that as he always fished from a 

 kneeling position he made a practice of rising 

 to his feet directly his fly was taken, and 

 striking as he did so. For several seasons I 

 have acted upon this advice and can recommend 

 it as a plan to adopt. Everyone will probably 

 agree that large fish rise more slowly than small 

 ones; so that if the pause between the rise and 

 the strike often results in losing the fish, there 

 is a satisfaction in knowing, or even in thinking, 

 that it is the smaller ones which escape. 



Better allow two half pounders to reject your 

 black gnat and save their skins, than twitch it 



