2 THE WAY OF A TROUT WITH A FLY 



That only means that trout have a preference for one food 

 over another and are at times so gorged as to be dainty. 

 After a long course of one insect they are apt to prefer 

 another. In liking a change of diet they do not differ greatly 

 from ourselves. That diet may be sought on the surface, in 

 mid-water, in the weeds, or on the bottom. It is an entire 

 mistake to assume that the trout is only feeding during the 

 rise. It is indeed probable that there are few hours of the 

 day when he is not feeding on something — mainly down 

 below. And if his subaqueous supplies be plentiful and 

 filling it would easily account for his not being excited by 

 a plentiful exhibition of surface food. Indeed, the examples 

 of dour rivers like the lower and middle Kennet and the 

 Middlesex Colne prove that there are cases where the supply 

 of bottom food is so large as to keep the trout down below 

 in the absence of the rare attraction of the May fly or the 

 large red sedge, and at times the grannom. The Kennet 

 at any rate breeds large quantities of duns. The fact that 

 the upper Kennet is less dour only proves that the supply 

 of bottom food is less satisfying. But it is still more satisfy- 

 ing than that of such rivers as the Itchen and the Test and 

 free-rising streams of that class. And there are all degrees 

 of stream in between these two ends of the scale. There is, 

 therefore, no real mystery about the question why trout rise 

 to the fly. The only real problem is why at times, when 

 everything appears in favour of their doing so, they do not. 

 It may, however, be assumed that there is a common-sense 

 reason for it. In nature nothing happens without a reason. 

 The difficulty for the angler is merely that the reason is 

 hidden some way beneath the surface. There may be 

 occasions when trout take the fly for sport or high spirits, 

 jealousy, or curiosity, or some by-motive; but on these 

 occasions it may be taken for granted that the temptation 

 is scarce and that hunger is in abeyance. 



