112 ABT OE ANGLING. 



even in sight of the water till the fish is brought 

 well to the surface, and fairly within reach ; and 

 then you have only to put the net under him, or 

 keep his eyes above water, and tow him into it. 

 Mind this, or the landing net and your man will 

 prove enemies, instead of assistants, to your sport. 

 Nothing will so soon, or suddenly, rouse a sick fish 

 as the sight of a man, or a landing net. 



" With regard to the time and weather for fishing, 

 it is now well known to almost every school-boy. 

 But it may be proper just to observe, that however 

 favourable the time may be to all appearance, yet 

 Trout will seldom rise well just before rain, or when 

 they have been filled by a glut of flies. More- 

 over, Trout will frequently cease to rise well, even 

 at the best of times, from being every day whipped 

 at by anglers from the same bank. My plan, in 

 this case, is to go to the opposite side, and throw 

 against (or rather under) the wind. A friend and I 

 once caught two and twenty brace by this means, 

 while a whole tribe of professed anglers, who were 

 fishing from the windward side, caught (as we after- 

 wards heard) but three fish between them." 



An experienced fly-fisher will use three or four 

 flies at the same time: the leading fly should be 

 fastened to the gut bottom by a water knot, in 

 preference to a loop ; the first dropper about a yard 



