The Fishing of Rivers with the Wet Fly 117 



N.B. Some men would have been 

 wading just where he was feeding. 



This leads me to observe that the 

 shallow edge, on the side of a deepish but 

 rapid run, is far too often passed over, save 

 by the angler's wading-boots. 



When a large trout is hungry, and there 

 is no hatch of flies to attract his atten- 

 tion, he often goes prowling around the 

 edges, where he can pick up flies, creepers, 

 fresh- water shrimps, and minnows ; and if, 

 while he is feeding, a fly is skilfully pre- 

 sented by a quite invisible angler, he will 

 take it. Then look out, if your tackle is 

 fine ! The man, I repeat, who simply 

 " sweeps" or "combs" a river mechani- 

 cally, loses many of the details which are so 

 distinctly delightful to the true sportsman. 



When a large river like the Tweed is 

 pretty full, yet clear, or at most porter or 

 port wine in colour, one of the places 

 which should always be carefully fished up, 

 is where the waters seem to pause, ere they 

 glide from the pool above, into the stream 

 below. This on Tweedside is called "the 

 hing " Anglice " the hang." 



Doubtless the trout here pick up many 

 a dainty tit-bit ere it gets swept away into 

 the rapid stream, or streams, immediately 



