THE RISE 53 



The trout, therefore, though a powerful and vigorous 

 fish, may be accounted a lazy one in the sense that he 

 persistently maintains the utmost economy of effort 

 consistent with living and thriving, and with the satis- 

 faction of a healthy appetite as a means to that end. 

 He will never face a strong stream for the mere pleasure 

 of doing so. At times he may seem to be doing so, but 

 careful observation will generally show either that he is 

 in dead or comparatively slow water, or that he is getting 

 such a supply of food brought to him by the current as to 

 compensate him for the effort. He need not be seen to 

 break the water, for a stream of subaqueous food is being 

 brought to him, so that the faintest turn to right or left, 

 or upwards or downwards, enables him to field it with the 

 minimum of exertion. Again, except to intercept another 

 fish or to prevent the imminent escape of his prey, he will 

 seldom swim against a strong or even moderately strong 

 current to get food which the current would bring to him. 

 An apparent exception, which may at times be noted at 

 the beginning of a rise, of a trout, generally a big one, 

 cruising upstream and feeding as he goes, is not a real 

 exception; for that trout, if he be watched, will be found 

 to have been proceeding from his hole or shelter to a 

 corner where he may expect a concentrated stream of 

 fly -food to be brought to him by the current. 



Thus, in still or slow waters which do not bring a suffi- 

 cient supply of food quickly enough, trout either feed 

 upon the bottom, or in mid-water, or near the surface, but 

 in either case must cruise to find the food which is not 

 brought to them. 



Again, in eddies of swift or comparatively swift streams, 

 where during the rise little fleets of becalmed duns or 

 other insects lie almost motionless, trout will be observed 

 cruising slowly along, picking one here and another there, 



