The Fishing of Rivers with the Wet Fly 105 



allow a tall man to command water which 

 he could not otherwise do. Many a fine 

 basket of trout is got thus in large rivers, 

 especially in the early spring the angler 

 perhaps not fishing more than one or two 

 pools all the day, and yet filling his basket. 

 And I unhesitatingly affirm that the same 

 water fished by short waders, and reached 

 only by long casts with a two-handed rod, 

 of say 14 or 15 feet, would produce no such 

 results ; as a long line sinks, and this, while 

 trout are really on the surface, is as un- 

 desirable as it is to fish the surface, when 

 the trout are lying a little depth below it, 

 in order to take the submerged insect as 

 a drowned fly. It is this "war of wits " 

 that lends to wet-fly fishing one of its 

 peculiar charms. To know how and when 

 to float, also how and when to slightly sink, 

 or even to sink well the fly, so as to produce 

 a successful result, must be the aim of 

 the fishermen of our particular school, who 

 literally " look below the surface." It is 

 naturally pleasanter to walk with one's head 

 erect; but to stoop in order to conquer is, 

 I maintain, quite sportsmanlike, especially 

 when it becomes a necessity. I have no 

 patience with those who will not " stoop," 

 who perhaps do not know how to, and who, 



