How to fish a Pool 63 



there the trout are both cunning and cautious. Mr. 

 Stewart says in his work, p. 96 : " It is more difficult 

 fishing streams than pools, as it requires greater nicety 

 in casting, and on account of the water it is not so easy 

 to see a trout rise." I totally disagree with him in this 

 remark ; and to any casual observer, much less a practised 

 Angler, it bears inconsistency on the face of it. For how 

 can it be more difficult to cast a line in a rippling stream, 

 so as to deceive the eye of a trout, than on a still glassy 

 pool? Little or no fineness is required in the stream, 

 but on the pool far otherwise the greatest nicety of cast, 

 as well as the utmost lightness must be secured ; for even 

 the natural fly considerably disturbs such a surface, how 

 much more, then, an artificial one, thrown ever so artisti- 

 cally? It might as well be asserted that a pebble cast into a 

 smooth pool would not disturb it so much as it would a 

 stream if cast into it. I therefore maintain that it is 

 the finest feat of a Fly-fisher, because by far the most 

 difficult, to throw on to a clear pool so lightly as to kill 

 fish therein ; and it is without doubt one of the best tests 

 of really fine and good throwing. 



In fishing a deep still pool cast your flies across, and 

 suffer them to sink a little, then draw them very softly 

 back, giving them a slight shake, without breaking or 

 making circles in the water, and let them swim down a 

 little before bringing them out again for a fresh cast. 



It is not " useless," as Mr. Stewart asserts in his work, 

 p. 93, " to fish in the still water at the foot of pools when 

 there is no wind," but very difficult, and consequently 

 more exciting to a good Angler who is not a " pot-fisher." 

 I say, miss no water that is likely to hold fish ; the variety 

 is pleasing if not quite so profitable.. Never by any means 

 plunge about in the water needlessly because you happen 

 to be wading, for by so doing you will scare away more 

 fish than you take. 



