LOOK TO YOUR HOOK ! 127 



I may state here, that in deep pools or mill heads, no plan is 

 so killing as to suffer the fly to sink to the bottom, and then to 

 work it with short sharp shoots up to the surface. Whether 

 the fish mistake it for the larva of some fly, or some other 

 water-insect, or a fly striving to get to the surface, or what they 

 may suppose it to be I cannot say. I only know that this is a 

 very killing plan ; and many a good dish of fish have I picked 

 up thus, when I could not coax a single fish to come up to the 

 surface. In calm or hot weather it is a capital dodge.* If there 

 is too much stream, bite a shot on the gut at the head of the 

 fly, and, if it savour not too much of taking a mean advantage 

 put a gentle on the hook ; and if the proprietor of the 

 water does not look upon it as poaching as " aiblins " he may 

 you will perhaps not regret the addition. 



When the angler strikes a good fish at all heavily, and loses 

 it, he should always look at his hook. Had I done so, when 

 fishing as above, I should have saved two brace of good fish. 

 The hook will sometimes be found to have lost the fine point 

 and sometimes to be bent outwards ; and this is usually caused 

 by its hitting obliquely on a bone. When the first occurrence 

 takes place, a touch from a fine needle file will put a fresh point 

 on ; but in the second case the fly is useless, and no bending 

 the hook back to its place will render it either serviceable or 

 reliable. Off with it, and put on another, and lest it may 

 chance by any oversight to be put on again, break the fly off 

 and throw it away, or, if the pattern be needed, break the hook. 



* I had somewhat disheartening proof of this some years ago when I was 

 one of six anglers who rented the Avington water of the Itchen. I took the 

 late Mr. Ashley Dodd to fish with me one day (the rules of our association 

 allowed a member to introduce a friend after ist September). We took 

 separate beats, agreeing to meet for luncheon at a place which those who 

 know that delectable part of the river will recognise under the name of the 

 Aquarium. I managed with much difficulty to secure a brace of trout on a 

 red quill ; when we met Mr. Dodd produced either two or three brace, I 

 forget which, of fine fish. I asked what fly they had taken. " Oh," 

 said he, " I soon gave up the floating fly. I did them with this," holding out 

 a huge red palmer with two hooks in it. Quoth I, " You've been raking the 

 hatch holes." He assured me he had not, but had caught his fish on the open 

 river. 



Just opposite where we were sitting there was a good trout, not rising, but 

 poised in a likely attitude. I had floated the quill over him twenty times or 

 more, without exciting the faintest response. I bade my friend try him with 

 his furry monster. He put out a long line, flung the thing in some yards 

 above the fish, let it sink and brought it past him with a jerking motion. 

 The trout turned, dashed at the lure, missed it and returned to his poise. 

 A second cast, and he was hooked and landed, one pound and three- 

 quarters. I am bound to say that the performance put me somewhat out of 

 conceit with dry-fly fishing. ED. 



