ON RAPID STREAMS. 151 



should be small and light, and just serviceable as 

 it were to scoop up your fish, in stead of having to 

 get your hand on him. Thus wading up stream 

 in the North of Devon, when the waters are very 

 low in June or July, you may kill a great many 

 fish and of good size for the water, certainly far 

 above the average size you could kill at the best 

 of times on the same stream with the artificial 

 fly and at the time we are alluding to, the most 

 able fisherman would be able to show but a com- 

 paratively miserable dish to that you with the 

 beetle can make sure of after a little practice. 

 Here then on such streams as the double waters, 

 the Mole, Taw (in some parts), as well as on the 

 Barle and Exe, near to, and on the Moor is clearly 

 acknowledged the immense superiority of thebeetle 

 over the artificial fly, excepting from the general 

 rule those precarious days which we would fore- 

 warn you of, when the trout are not disposed, nor 

 can they be excited, to run at the beetle. 



Of course, in this mode of fishing with the beetle, 

 we get over a great deal of water in the space of 

 a few hours, since, as I have said, we have but 

 particular spots here and there to fish ; and it 

 does not do to potter about too long with the 

 beetle. Try your water as closely as you possibly 

 can; let not a nook or stone escape your attempt ; 

 let that attempt be made in a perfect manner ; 

 but if not, say in the second or perhaps third cast, 

 successful, go on, do not hang back on the old 

 water ; you ought to make sure of your fish the 

 first throw. To stand still flogging away at the 



