HOW TO FISH A STREAM. 21 



proportion. The thickest link must be that next 

 to the reel-line, and the thinnest that farthest 

 from it that to which your stretcher or tail-fly 

 is to be looped. Each of the intermediate links of 

 gut must be finer than the other, round, and 

 clear-coloured, before dyed, and without a flaw. 



FISHING A STREAM AND HUMOURING YOUR 

 FLIES. Touching the practice of angling, there 

 are many moot points. One maintains this, an- 

 other maintains that, and a third differs from 

 both. In doing any thing there is but a right 

 way and a wrong; but common sense has not 

 followers enough to give the right a majority. An 

 impartial president casting up the votes for the 

 wrong must too often, I fear, pronounce, " The 

 Ayes have it." Opinions are divided as to how a 

 stream is to be fly-fished. Some say, begin at the 

 head of a stream, and fish it downwards with the 

 current. Others say, by no means : commence 

 at the tail of a stream and fish upwards to its 

 head. Who is to decide, when adhuc sub judice 

 Us est ? Will the litigants leave it to my arbitra- 

 tion ? If they do, my decision is, as a general 

 rule, to be swerved from on rare contingency, 

 first fly-fish a stream upwards from tail to head, 

 and then, if circumstances make you think it 

 advisable, after giving yourself and the water a 

 rest, try down, with, if necessary, a change of fly 

 or flies, from head to tail. By this means you 

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