HIGH WINDS BEST FOR FINE WATERS. 89 



what part of the compass the winds may blow, little 

 sport can then be expected under any circumstances, and, 

 indeed, this is the only time when I have seen a cool 

 north wind bring the fish to rise. The angler will then 

 best succeed in the still pools and deeps, when the wind 

 is so rough as to threaten to snap his rod through, and 

 render the keeping of the line upon the water a matter 

 of no small difficulty. Let him secure his " wideawake" 

 from ever and anon being sent skimming along the 

 surface of the water with the velocity of a swallow, and 

 manfully struggle against the buffeting of the gale. He 

 will find, that although it is utterly impossible to retain 

 the flies on the water beyond a second or two at a time, 

 they will be very frequently grabbed at by some unseen 

 gobbler, of whose presence he is totally unaware, until 

 the line spins merrily through his fingers. In such 

 weather, wading up the middle of the stream with a long 

 line out will be an advantage if it is not too deep, and if 

 the angler does not mind interfering with the sport of his 

 neighbours. An excellent basket of fish may be frequently 

 obtained in this way, although the waters be so low that 

 to fish them in calmer weather would be madness. 



Other matters that the angler should remember, I 

 shall here note down as they occur to me. In dark, 

 gloomy, or cold weather, use the darkest coloured flies 

 that are then in season, earliest in the day, and even all 

 day long ; and in warm bright weather, those of lighter 

 and gaudier hue, towards the afternoon. It is important 

 to attend to this, as all the more hardy insects, as well 

 as those that appear both earliest in the day and earliest 



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