A BOOK OF FISHING STORIES 



been touched by the hook will rise again, but they are very 

 uncertain in this respect, and I do not fish over one a second 

 time with the same expectation of another rise, that I feel in 

 the case of a salmon that has risen once and missed the fly. 

 Of course, one always feels wronged and aggrieved when a sea 

 trout, which has not been pricked and has no excuse, refuses 

 to give another chance, but there are days when fish after fish 

 rises once, and only once, without touching the hook. On 

 the whole, however, sea trout, when they do rise, may be said 

 to take hold very well. 



It was said just now that sea trout fishing was especially 

 dependent upon the state of the water, and it is true that a 

 falling river after a spate is the great opportunity, but the 

 angler need not despair even when the water is at its lowest, 

 if there have previously been floods to bring fish into the river, 

 and if there are fairly deep pools and long stretches of deep, 

 still water. The fish collect in these places when the water 

 is low, and if there is a breeze, which blows fairly up or down 

 the stream and so makes a good ripple, a very good basket may 

 be made. Even when there is no breeze and a bright sun, it 

 is possible to have some sport with the small class of sea trout 

 known as " herling " and by various other names. These 

 smaller fish run later than most of the large ones, and are often 

 met with in shoals. They average only between half a pound 

 and three-quarters of a pound, but they fight with extraordinary 

 activity and strength, and they sometimes rise when no other 

 fish thinks of doing so. I was once by a small sea trout river 

 on one very hot, bright day in August. The streams were 



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