100 MINOR TACTICS OF THE CHALK STREAM 



stretch spoiled by the bolting of fish which, ap- 

 proached from the other bank by a more or less 

 " cross-country cast," with the rod held low to 

 the right, might have been brought to basket or 

 turned downstream. 



Probably, however, the most generally govern- 

 ing consideration is the direction of the wind in re- 

 lation to the general trend of the stream. Perhaps 

 the majority of fly-fishermen, if asked to choose 

 a bank with an upstream or downstream wind, 

 would choose the right without hesitation. But 

 there may be a good deal to be said for the other 

 side, apart even from the sun and the narrowness 

 of the stream. For instance, with an upstream 

 wind and a fairly wide river, especially if it be 

 swift, the angler on the right bank is practically 

 confined to his own bank and midstream fishing. 

 If he casts for the opposite bank, he finds it ex- 

 tremely difficult to be accurate, and a drag which 

 inevitably puts the fish down is almost certain to 

 be set up. On the left bank, however, not only 

 can he approach the left bankers more closely than 

 he dare approach the right bankers when fishing 

 on the right bank, not only can he tackle the mid- 

 stream fish equally well, but he can cut under and 

 against the wind and get across to the opposite 

 bank far more accurately from the left bank 

 than from the right, where the wind follows his 

 hand. 



Take next the case of a downstream wind. Here 



