SUNDRY OBSERVATIONS 163 



To begin with, the bottom, or much of it, has been shaved, 

 often too bare, and the weeds in which the trout used to 

 shelter and over which they used to hover, conscious of 

 shelter in case of need, and all the bolder for that conscious- 

 ness, are not in their places. Yet shelter the trout must 

 have, and so the piles of weed which make little rafts hitched 

 against the banks are pretty sure finds. The cut weeds 

 will hold quite a supply of insect food, and in the absence 

 of a hatch of fly the trout may still be on the alert under 

 their shelter for such nymphs and other small peoples as 

 leave the haven of the weed-jam. Thus a nymph pattern, 

 well submerged and drifted close along the edge of the 

 weed-rafts preferably under the far bank, is quite likely 

 to be taken, and the floating part of the gut, drawn 

 suddenly under, will give the angler his cue. For this game 

 the long patches of cut weed should preferably be picked. 

 Under one's own bank the game is not quite so easy, but 

 it can be done. There is another alternative, however; 

 and a small Sedge deftly floated along the edge of the patch 

 is often surprisingly remunerative. 



Before approaching such a patch, however, from below 

 one should spend a little time watching the eddy just down- 

 stream of it. Then, if there is, or has been, any recent 

 rise or fall of fly, little fleets lie becalmed or circling slowly, 

 and the trout venture out and cruise among them, picking 

 up one here and there. Here the drag is often difficult 

 to negotiate, so a wet Tup's Indispensable or a small wet 

 Alder will generally prove better policy than a floater. 



Again, above the weed and close to the bank, there is 

 another hopeful spot, especially if there be a small rise of 

 little duns. Hidden right under the weed-pile a good 

 trout will often lie, putting up his nose an inch or two 

 above the weed-pile to intercept the small olive. He cannot 

 see the angler, and is often surprisingly unsuspicious 



