52 TKODT FISHING 



stream where we may find quiet pools, still water, 

 or gentle undulations, such as will be suitable to 

 the enervated frame of the trout and its require- 

 ments at this period ; and we may continue our 

 preference to large streams even so late as 

 April ; for though on chance occasions good sport 

 might be procured before April, on small, yet we 

 know we are more certain of it, on large ; and, as 

 the time of year when we can so say of large streams 

 is but short, it is advisable for the fisherman to* 

 make the best use of his time, and fish the large 

 streams early, when successfully he can, lest later, 

 when he would, he be disappointed in sport on 

 them, whereas he would be certain of sport on 

 the small. And again, from what we have said, 

 it would follow that in late or autumn fishing we 

 should seek sport and obtain it on the small, 

 rather than large streams : we shall then expect 

 a greater number of fish, and these, too, better in- 

 clined to sport, as they are yet active and lively, 

 and pleased with the fly ; and the water being 

 suitable, as it often is in J uly and August, we are 

 certain of capturing a great many in a day ; in- 

 deed, I think if I had to name one month in the 

 year, in which over many years' fishing I have 

 captured on an average the greatest number of 

 trout, I should name August. Often in June or 

 July the bed of the small rivers and brooks is 

 almost dry ; it is, in fact, no longer a stream in 

 which we could at all expect sport, and the fish 

 from their great exposure and being constantly 

 worried and frightened by poachers, groping and 



