LARGER TROUT CAUGHT BY FISHING UP. 65 



their flies' course than in the whole of the remainder ; 

 and that when thsir flies fairly breast the stream 

 they seldom get a rise at all. The reason of this is 

 clear : for the first few feet after the angler throws 

 his flies across the stream they swim with the current ; 

 the moment, however, he begins to describe his 

 semicircle across the water, they present an unnatural 

 appearance, which the trout view with distrust. 

 Experienced fly-fishers, following the old method, 

 who have observed this, and are aware of the great 

 importance of the moment their flies alight, cast very 

 frequently, only allowing their flies to float down a 

 few feet, when they throw again. We have seen 

 some Tweedside adepts fill capital baskets in this 

 way ; but, as we have before stated, it will only 

 succeed when the water is coloured, or when there 

 is a body of clear water sufficiently large to conceal 

 the angler from view ; and even then he may have 

 much better sport by fishing up. The angler draw- 

 ing his flies across and up stream will catch trout, 

 and this is the strongest evidence that trout are not 

 such profound philosophers as the notions of some 

 would lead us to suppose. But though he does 

 catch trout, they are in general the very smallest. 

 Indeed, the advantages of fishing up are in nothing 

 more apparent than in the superior size of the trout 

 captured. We believe they will average nearly 

 * double the size of those caught with the same flies 

 fishing down, and though generally not so large as 

 those taken with the worm, they are not much 



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