TIPS. 87 



becomes necessary, his choice simply resolves itself into the ciiicstion 

 of " contrast." In otiicr words, he mounts a long hackled specimen 

 iiaviny a silk body, casts a little more at right angles across the water, 

 and holds the rod perfectly still while the lure works its way. 



Long hackled flies are never played by the ordinary give-and- 

 take method. The action of the water alone, however slowly it flows, 

 puts quite enough life into them. 



We now pass on lu the " Slack," No. 3, where as the descripli\e 

 appellation denotes, the water from beginning to end, at least twenty 

 yards in length, hardly flows fast enough to carry the fly along. 



While this condition makes the place very hard for almost all to 

 comprehend, the singular fact is, that the really productive ground lies 

 eighteen yards across at the extreme end, and this is quite enough 

 to embarrass the most skilful performer, and baulk all anticipation. 

 It is, in truth, just the very spot where mistakes and miscalculations 

 have been and will be made. liven our experts may go wrong, as 

 they have done under less trying conditions. 



Now, some men say that success at most pools comes, as often as 

 not, to the first in command : but while defeat is by no means 

 necessarily, or always, a proof of incompetence, let us consider what 

 chance the second would have at water like this, that had been flogged 

 in the ordinar)- way by a merciless hand. 



Sui-prising as it may seem to all but the initiated, the fact remains, 

 that unless the second comer be full)- acquainted with, and capable 

 of demonstrating, well-nigh every device to which we are occasionally 

 bound to resort, he might fish on till doomsday. Proficiency in 

 casting and choosing flies may render useful service, but without other 

 qualifications defeat is inevitable. Victory at these subtle places. 



