78 



THE ANGLER'S GUIDE 



From " The Determined Angler. 1 ' 



The Brook Trout. 



reel as in bait-casting; the line is drawn from the 

 reel a half yard at a time with the left hand. The 

 line must fully straighten itself behind the angler ere it 

 can be sent out straight before him. The flies, and at 

 most only a little part of the leader should fall lightly upon 

 the surface as we imagine two insects, entangled in a 

 delicate cobweb, might fall from a tree branch and be 

 drawn smartly, but gently in little jerks a second or two in 

 imitation of two tiny live-winged bugs fluttering in the 

 water; and then, as the angler steps slowly, firmly, but 

 silently and softly in the current down stream, he should 

 repeat the lifting of the flies, the drawing off of more line 

 from the reel and the circling backward cast that takes up 

 the slack and gives the line its forward force. Thus he 

 should continue, deftly placing the lure in every likely spot 

 ahead of him in the centre of the brook and along its moss- 

 lined, flower- decked, rock-bound or grass-fringed banks. 



The angler is careful not to let the trout see him, see his 

 shadow, or see the rod, and not to let this wisest, most 

 watchful species of all the finny tribes hear him or feel the 

 vibration of his body. 



In hooking the trout the angler strikes the second the 

 fish strikes not by a violent arm movement, but by a 

 mere instantaneous nervous backward twist of the wrist, 

 as one would instinctively draw up his hand from the 

 pierce of a needle point. Many trout are hooked the in- 



