A SPECULATION IN BUBBLES 51 



taking flies under a bank, and sending down single bubbles 

 at each rise, he usually seems to be taking so softly, with 

 such a minimum of effort and such an almost imperceptible 

 dimple, as to exclude the idea of the degree of violence 

 necessary to produce the tell-tale bubble. Clearly the air 

 which fills the bubble is not in the mouth of the trout as 

 he rises. There is, however, another possible explanation. 

 When the trout sucks in the floating fly, is it not likely that 

 he at the same time sucks in some air with it, and that he has 

 to expel it: that in the act of expelling the water which 

 he draws in with the fly he also expels the air with the water 

 in the form of the bubble which gives away the position ? 

 It is in favour of this solution, that when trout are bulging, 

 or in softer fashion taking nymphs under water, or even 

 spent spinners flush with the surface, one does not note the 

 bubble. It is only when floating flies, standing up on the 

 surface, are being absorbed that one sees it, the reason 

 probably being that it is more likely to require a gulp of 

 air to take down a creature standing on the water and in 

 the air than to take anything under or even flush with and 

 adhering to the surface. The value of this, if it could be 

 established, is that the presence of the bubble would be a 

 fair indication that the trout producing it was engaged in 

 the taking of floating duns. 



Ill - 



THE RISE 



When the angler sees a tell-tale ring upon the surface 

 of river or lake, he is apt to say, "There is a rise." But 

 if, when fishing, he should have his fly taken by a trout, 

 whether under the water or at the surface, he would in 

 recounting the incident say, if he were a Briton, " I had 



