i8 



temporarily, and will be found most numerous in the lower 

 parts of the streams preparatory to ascending the breeding 

 becks. Then again, experience teaches that an angler need 

 never despair of sport whatever quarter the wind may blow 

 from, so long as it blows up stream ; an upstream wind 

 serves even a more important purpose than the provision of 

 a ripple, it keeps the feed on, and so long as there is food 

 upon the water trout are on the look out for it. If there- 

 fore you have your choice of two lengths of a river up one 

 of which a steady wind is blowing whilst the other fails to 

 catch it, always take the one with the wind upon it. For 

 the same reason cast your flies as much as possible to that 

 side of the river towards which the wind blows ; the natural 

 insects are blown thither and the trout are there. So too are 

 trout collected under accumulations of froth ; their instinct 

 tells them it is a trap for flies and it is worth fishing. A trout 

 will sometimes take any fly that is presented to him, but it 

 is as well to remember that in nine cases out of ten 

 he will not look at anything but the fly which is on the 

 water so long as the rise is on. Fish hair if you like ; it is 

 not difficult to kill a very heavy fish with a single hair if 

 your reel and running line are in good order, but it is 

 difficult to get good hair of the proper transparency, length 

 and strength. The best is taken from the tail of .the 

 stallion, and very little of any other kind is good. Remem- 

 ber that you can always save a break by a big fish by an 

 instant lowering of your rod point to a position parallel 

 with the level of the stream, keeping the tip of your rod 

 pointed at the fish ; but there must be no hitch on your 

 running line or reel. The advantages in fishing hair, except 

 in the case of dropper flies, which stand better off the cast, 

 are more imaginary than real. It is worth remembering 

 that trout feed largely off the bottom of the river upon 

 the pupae and larvse which are constantly on the move there. 



