58 MINOR TACTICS OF THE CHALK STREAM 



was undoubtedly feeding on nymphs, but not over 

 weed, and so not bulging ; yet he presented only 

 the appearance of hovering, or, as Walton generally 

 calls it, " soaring." 



Another likely fish is the cruiser on his way to 

 his feeding-station. If I see a wedge-shaped ripple 

 advancing irregularly upstream, and broken at 

 times by a dimple in the centre, I always feel 

 hopeful, and I know that such trout are nearly 

 always of unusual size for the water. It is, of 

 course, difficult to place the ily exactly ; but if 

 that difficulty is overcome, your trout will take 

 it most unsuspiciously. The best course is 

 to throw to one side and a little ahead of the 

 last rise. 



A more difficult proposition is the cruiser who 

 has a small defined beat. You find him moving 

 up the bank in such wise that every cast is short 

 of his rise ; but suddenly, if you are not ware, you 

 will find that he has turned and sailed down- 

 stream to the bottom of his beat, and that your 

 rod and line are absolutely over him. Such a 

 trout seems always fastidious and picksome, but 

 it is all the more gratifying to circumvent him. 

 He is usually taking toll of insects collected in 

 eddies, and a spinner of sorts is more likely 

 to take him than a dun ; but he will often 

 rush for a fly that is being withdrawn under 

 water. 



