220 AN ANGLER'S SEASON 



than raindrops, must bring down greater 

 quantities ? Any one who doubts the 

 theory can be convinced by a simple 

 experiment. Let him taste either rain 

 or snow that has come after a time of 

 drought. It has a rank flavour of 

 soot. 



The fish do not seem to mind the 

 contamination in the autumn floods. 

 Perhaps it is much slighter than the 

 contamination in the floods which come 

 out of the accumulated snows in spring. 

 The rain-water must be well filtered in 

 its comparatively gentle progress through 

 heather and moss and shingle down the 

 hills. At any rate, the river, as has been 

 said, is limpid even when the flood is at 

 its height, and the fish are in a coming-on 

 disposition. 



Where to cast ? That is the question. 

 Brown trout, in flood, seek the line of 

 least resistance, and are away from their 

 usual haunts. They could, if they liked, 

 front the torrent at its fiercest ; but they 

 do not. Thus many a pool or streamy 



