274 SALMON AND TROUT. 



consent amongst anglers in favour of up-stream casting that it 

 would seem superfluous to give the reasons which make it prefer- 

 able in most cases. I am rather inclined to remind brother 

 anglers that the rule must not be made absolute, and to point out 

 some cases in which the opposite course should be adopted. 

 And first, if in fishing up stream you would have a strong sun at 

 your back, you will betray your presence less by making your 

 beat downwards. This, however, must not involve the absurd 

 blunder of hauling your flies against the current, thus making an 

 unnatural ripple which cannot but alarm a trout of any experi- 

 ence. In fishing down stream, begin if possible from a stand 

 several yards distant from the margin, and throw lightly over 

 the in-shore water a little above you, lengthening your cast by 

 degrees till you have covered three-fourths of the width. Then, 

 and not till then, you may advance warily to the bank and try 

 the deadly cast under the opposite shore. From first to last 

 you must take care that the movement of your flies be natural ; 

 that they go down easily with the stream, with occasional slight 

 checks from the wrist to mimic the struggles of a drowning insect 

 and produce that play of legs and wings which is so irresistible 

 to a hungry trout. Retire from the bank after working out 

 your cast, and repeat the same process a dozen yards farther 

 down. If you hook a good fish, let him fight up stream as long 

 as he will, that you may avoid disturbing unfished water in 

 bringing him to the net ; but should he insist on a downward 

 rush do your best to keep ahead of him, showing yourself no 

 more than is absolutely necessary. The portion of the stream 

 which you are thus compelled to hurry by should be allowed a 

 good spell of rest before you move up again to fish it. 



And here I must be allowed a brief digression. Fish get 

 an inkling of your movements in two ways — by sight, and by a 

 sense of vibration which is equivalent to hearing, and you must 

 be on your guard against betraying yourself either way. If the 

 river you are fishing runs through a rocky bed, you need not 

 walk warily except for the safety of your ankles. But if it runs 

 through boggy soil, or between banks of loose and crumbling 



