NOTES ON THE MONTHS FOR FLY-FISHING. 203 



observe he is perfectly still and easy; he has evidently 

 seen the rise of a feeding fish below there, and he is con- 

 tent to patiently watch. Ah! there, he has missed that 

 fish; the fly is gone and so is the fish; he has taken his 

 'hook' and left the miller's." 



"Any fault of the rodster's ?" 



" Oh no, none whatever. The fish has simply taken 

 hold of the living fly by the tail, and so stripped it from 

 the hook, which was placed between the wings; he is 

 rather fastidious in feeding. The flies are merely out as 

 stragglers yet ; if two naturals be put upon the hook, he 

 will, ten chances to one, get him the next time. The 

 strongest tackle is used in this primitive style of angling; 

 the shadow of the thick foliage, and the actions of the 

 impaled insect, aiding materially in effecting the decep- 

 tion." Every minute now the sun shines brighter, and 

 more flies appear. We now move onwards, passing 

 several more fishermen of the daping school. And now, 

 directly preceding us, a fisherman is observed with a con- 

 spicuously long stiff rod, attached to which is a very 

 inconsistently fine line, which is out a great length. The 

 rodster is as motionless as though the least action would 

 upset his equilibrium, and seriously imperil the safety 

 of his person and property, the twenty-foot rod in ques- 

 tion. 



"Gracious goodness! Whatever kind of fishing do 

 you call this, pray?" 



"This is in general use upon the lochs frequented by 

 the May-fly, and is sometimes very successful here. The 

 line consists of the finest possible substance, of the very 

 strongest textile procurable, viz. , that of pure raw China 

 silk, which, though not perceptibly thicker than the gut 

 lash, is infinitely ctronger. At the extremity of this is a 

 live fly, which, if you watch very closely, you will see is 

 made by the almost invisible action of the tip, to gently 

 frisk and flutter in the most natural manner possible, 



