ON RAPID STREAMS. 115 



little, if at all, directly backwards. Keep behind 

 his tail then, fish up stream, and keep your head 

 as close to the level of the water as you can. 

 Keep as short a line at all times as possible ; 

 creep and crawl get down to the water's edge, 

 or into the stream itself use every artifice you 

 can for concealment throw up stream, but do 

 not, if you can help it, let out line to reach a fish. 

 Throw boldly and with exact precision ; and pro- 

 vided you are fishing rapid water, and throwing 

 up stream, yourself being concealed, care less 

 about your fly pitching very lightly, than its 

 pitching in the right spot to an inch, and in the 

 right manner for his taking it you will soon catch 

 plenty of trout, though you have made your fly 

 enter the water with even a little splash, and will 

 learn how to work your fly when it has pitched 

 in the water, a matter next only in importance to 

 the spot where it should pitch. Keep your line, 

 from fly to reel, " taut/' 



The practice I recommend is, to be by the 

 water very early not later than six a.m., during 

 the summer months. Don't be alarmed at the 

 idea of turning out of bed at four a.m., for you 

 may be assured, if you do so a few times, you will 

 agree with me in saying, that a fisherman who 

 comes to the river at nine or ten, loses a large 

 portion of a day's pleasure. I reflect with the 

 greatest pleasure on the many early walks I have 

 taken up the Devonshire valleys to reach the spot 

 I intended to commence my day's fishing; and 

 most truly enjoyable and delightful is a walk 

 i 2 



