THE RED PALMER CATERPILLAR. 243 



clear water, they have every advantage of position, 

 and faculty for distinguishing differences the most 

 trivial between one fly and another ; and often is the 

 angler nonplussed in his endeavours to arrive at the 

 precise thing absorbing their attention. A valuable 

 aid at these times, we have always found in the use 

 of a small glass-bottomed drinking horn, as in the 

 froth and foam that is found in quiet corners, at 

 points where the water eddies round, drowned speci- 

 mens of what are monopolizing the attention of 

 the fish are sure to be discovered. Whenever the 

 trout are not to be drawn to the surface, owing to the 

 scarcity of surface food, there is for the fly-fisher a 

 rarely failing method of procuring sport by means of 

 the Red Palmer Caterpillar. The way we use it is to 

 cast it precisely the same as the fly, at the extremity 

 of a nine feet gut lash, in which fineness and strength 

 are combined. This done, and all being in readiness, 

 the mounted cast is delivered with more than ordinary 

 care, a couple of yards or so above any fish that may 

 be on the look out for what the stream brings forth. 

 In comparatively still and clear water, this style of 

 angling exceeds most from a genuine sportman's point 

 of view, as each movement of the fish is plainly 

 visible to the rodster. The lure should be slightly 

 worked by a wrist movement, just sufficient to open 

 and shut the feather fibres. When the artificial has 

 passed the fish the operation must be repeated ; and 

 fish, especially large ones, are more often than not 

 killed after a certain amount of attention in this 

 matter. We have often creeled a trout, grayling, 



