138 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 



the flies are on the water let them float down stream, keeping the 

 line on the stretch, and imparting to it a quivering kind of motion, 

 so as to aid the deceptive appearance of the flies. A dimple on 

 the water and a galvanic twitch will warn you of a rise, at which 

 strike with a sharp jerk of the wrist upwards. If hooked, keep an 

 even and steady strain on the fish, letting go no more line than is 

 absolutely necessary. Wind up slowly, and, if possible, walk back- 

 wards until your fish is landed. If small, he may be whipped out 

 at once, but if large, a landing-net will be advisable. 



" Opinions are divided as to whether it is best to fish up or down 

 the stream. In fishing down stream the line is kept well stretched, 

 and not an inch of water is wasted, which is not always the case 

 when you fish up stream. In the latter case the line is sometimes 

 doubled upon itself, and has to be cast more frequently to cover 

 the same extent of water; but then, when you do strike, you do so 

 in the proper direction, and there is no chance of pulling the fly 

 away from the fish, for they always lie with their noses pointing up 

 stream. On the whole, perhaps, it is most convenient to fish 

 downwards ; but that is impossible when you are fishing a small 

 burn or mountain stream, where you must approach the fish from 

 behind, if you do not wish to be at once seen and fled from. 



" Where possible, have the sun in your face and the wind at your 

 back ; but if you cannot have this, avoid, at all events, letting your 

 shadow fall across the water, for nothing frightens fish so much. It 

 is better to use a shorter line, and cast right in the teeth of the 

 wind." 



Fly-fishing is best up to the end of June, and then again in Sep- 

 tember, just before the season closes. Trout will not rise at a fly 

 when the water is much coloured after rain, and only very shyly 

 when it is prematurely bright and clear on a hot day : worm-fishing 

 is then the most successful. Between these extremes, however, 

 sport may be had in all sorts of waters and in all sorts of weathers. 

 A " southerly wind and cloudy sky " are held to be the best, but do 

 not be afraid of an east wind and a bright sky, although one would 

 not choose such a combination. You may have sport in the worst 



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