A BOOK OF FISHING STORIES 



are the respective pleasures of fly-fishing for salmon or trout 

 as compared to grouse driving, partridge driving, or covert 

 shooting ? Why does fly-fishing hold the first place ? 



The distraction and interest which a sport affords is largely 

 measured by the amount of eflFort and concentration involved 

 in its pursuit. 



Broadly speaking, in the case of shooting everything — ex- 

 cept the selection of the bird, the aim, the pull of the trigger 

 — is done for you. In the case of fishing you must do every- 

 thing for yourself. Then in the former case you know 

 beforehand pretty well what the bag will be ; in the latter it 

 is always an unknown quantity. 



Further, in shooting the sportsman is not actually pitting 

 himself against, or outmanoeuvring, a particular bird. But 

 success in fly-fishing, especially in dry-fly fishing, turns on the 

 skill and intelligence of the fisherman matched against the 

 wariness and increasing intelligence of the fish. The particular 

 trout has to be made to believe that a tiny bundle of feathers 

 and silk is actually a living creature, and but one of the natural 

 flies with which it is competing. 



Then, in shooting, no doubt there is a certain variety of 

 shot. The driven grouse will come straight at you — a fasci- 

 nating shot — sideways to you, past you, high up in the air, over, 

 across. The partridge will twist and turn, the brown bird 

 and the " Frenchman '* differing in speed and in conduct. In 

 covert shooting, again, one moment you may have the splendid 

 rocketer sailing over Humiliation Valley, to be succeeded 

 the next beat by the reluctant pheasant blundering out at 



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