210 APPLICATION. 



fisher cannot do it. It can only be done by a 

 judicious use of the four methods, according to cir- 

 cumstances. Nor can it be done by fishing con- 

 tinually in one stream ; the stream also must be 

 varied according to circumstances. 



In order to fulfil the promise made to the reader 

 of explaining how this can be done, we shall now go 

 over the whole angling season, and mention the 

 occasions when the angler wishing weight should 

 employ the different methods ; but before doing so 

 we shall mention some points which apply equally 

 to all seasons. 



One of these is, that large rivers are not so 

 much to be depended upon as small streams, partly 

 because they do not contain so many trout in pro- 

 portion to their size, and partly because, from un- 

 known causes, the trout in them are more capricious. 

 In the time of a take, large quantities of trout may 

 be caught in them with very little trouble ; but at 

 other times the angler will have great difficulty 

 and will occasionally find it impossible to kill the 

 required twelve pounds. For this reason, if the 

 angler is not meeting with success in large rivers, 

 he should have recourse to the smaller rivers and 

 waters, and failing these to burns, in which some 

 trout may always be had. We shall suppose that 

 the angler keeps this in view throughout the season, 

 so that it will be unnecessary to make any further 

 allusion to it. 



Fishing can be most successfully practised alone ; 

 but if the angler fishes in company, he should come 



