298 FISHING GOSSIP. 



it down, and the remaining portions of the pool are 

 undisturbed. This is a matter of great importance, 

 and we have frequently, in small streams, taken a 

 dozen trout out of a pool, from which, had we been 

 fishing down, we could not possibly have got more 

 than two or three. 



The last advantage of fishing up is, that by it the 

 angler can much better adapt the motions of his flies 

 to those of the natural insect. And here it may be 

 mentioned as a rule, that the nearer the motions of 

 the artificial flies resemble those of the natural ones 

 under similar circumstances, the greater will be the 

 prospects of success. Whatever trout take the artificial 

 fly for, it is obvious they are much more likely to be 

 deceived by a natural than by an unnatural motion. 



No method of angling can imitate the hovering 

 flight of an insect along the surface of the water 

 now just touching it, then flying a short distance, 

 and so on ; and for the angler to attempt by any 

 motion of his hand to give his flies a living appear- 

 ance, is mere absurdity. The only moment when 

 trout may mistake the angler's fly for a real one in 

 its flight is the moment it first touches the water ; 

 and in this respect fishing down possesses equal 

 advantages with fishing up. But this is the only 

 respect, and in order to illustrate this, we shall give 

 a brief description of fly-fishing as usually practised 

 down stream. 



