72 TROUT FISHING 



trout, and hai'mony of shades, in copy of nature, 

 we shall, for rapid stream fishing, find our fly of 

 the greatest practical utility. 



We now are thinking about fishing, and it 

 is the month of February, the weather is mild 

 for the season, the water in the small brooks is 

 swollen in size, and the colour of it is translucent ; 

 we can see the light shining through it, and in so 

 doing it displays mud, &c., settling ; it looks as 

 if the smaller particles of the mud had first de- 

 posited and left the larger ones to give it a colour, 

 but not deprive it of its translucency. We have 

 seen that it is better to fish on a large or quiet, 

 rather than a small and rapid stream at this season, 

 and therefore we will turn our attention to pre- 

 paring to fish on the gently flowing river, of 

 moderate breadth, say for example thirty or forty 

 feet broad in its wider portions, and we will select 

 as our part for trial that which is quiet, moderately 

 deep, and has not a very violently rushing current ; 

 some part where the water flows along between 

 its opposite banks of uniform appearance, slightly 

 varied on the surface, 'tis true, by gentle undula- 

 tions, but not disturbed by waves or frisking 

 eddies ; where the whole current trips along 

 evenly, buoyantly, and quietly, its whole breadth 

 presenting much the same aspect and depth 

 nearly throughout, and this equality of course 

 continuing for a hundred yards or so, and then 

 perhaps gently subsiding into still water, or water 

 whose passage is so undisturbed by impediments 

 and declension as to deceive the eye into a con- 



