FLY FISHING FOR TROUT AND GRAYLING. 267 



quires, and often withdraw completely from the bank to move 

 again cautiously towards it without the risk of sending an alarm 

 along the stream. Yet I can never fish a bright water on a 

 bright day without saying to myself a dozen times, ' I might 

 have had that fish, had I only kept better out of sight.' 



There are of course many streams, mountain and moorland, 

 where such cautious tactics are needless ; but in the best 

 English trouting counties — Hampshire, for instance, or the 

 East Riding, Buckinghamshire, Salop or Devon — concealment 

 is the first requisite for sport. In order to this, there are 

 many details to be studied. In the first place, if the day be 

 sunny, try as far as possible to look the sun in the face. To 

 feel his warmth on your back and shoulders is doubtless far 

 pleasanter than to be dazzled by his light, both direct and re- 

 flected from the water ; but if you want a heavy basket you will 

 disregard the inconvenience for the sake of remaining unseen. 

 Beginning by a short cast under your own bank, you will gra- 

 dually lengthen your throw till your stretcher drops in deep 

 shade close under the opposite shore, and each fish successively 

 covered will see your fly before any shadow from rod or line 

 falls over him. If the wind as well as the sun be in your face, 

 humour it as best you can by casting aslant, and working your 

 rod horizontally instead of vertically, but unless it blows great 

 guns, when the light from behind you will do little harm, per- 

 severe in defying both sun and wind. * It's dogged as does it.' 



Secondly, avail yourself of every scrap of cover. On no 

 account let a fish see your figure relieved against the sky. A 

 big bush judiciously employed as a screen may enable you to 

 do more with a short line than the best far-off casting could 

 achieve without its shelter. The apparent stupidity of fish 

 swimming high in a still sunny pool when thus approached 

 under cover is often most amusing. I have seen large trout in 

 the middle of a July day swim leisurely up to my fly and suck 

 it in without the slightest misgiving. If bushes are wanting, a 

 slight fringe of waterside plants and flowers — willow herb, loose 

 strife, figwort and the like— often does good service by blurring 



