1 30 HINTS TO DRY-FLY FISHERMEN. 



raising your hand sufficiently to drive the hook 

 home. When your fish is hooked, at once place 

 your rod in the vertical position, and put on as 

 much strain as your tackle will bear; if lightly 

 hooked it is any odds you lose the fish sooner or 

 later, and there can be no doubt that the majority 

 of well-hooked fish that get away owe their escape 

 to the want of firmness and decision on the part 

 of the Angler at the first stage of playing. Work 

 him clown stream all the time you are playing him, 

 to take him as far as possible from his home ; give 

 your fish the butt as soon as he shows the first 

 signs of giving in, and lead him to the landing 

 net. Lift him out, and, if large enough to kill, 

 give him a smart tap on the head just at the top 

 of the spinal column, to put him out of pain at 

 once ; and if he should be under the limit of size 

 for the water you are fishing, carefully and quickly 

 return him to his native element, dropping him 

 gently in the water, and not dashing him down 

 a piece of carelessness which frequently stuns and 

 kills both trout and grayling but giving him a 

 chance of growing to maturity, and yourself or some 

 other honest Angler a hope of sport in the future. 



