THE FLY-FISHERMAN'S AFTERMATH. 37 



in the dace is more than counterbalanced by the higher intelligence 

 and greater subtlety of the trout, and the fact that, in general, the 

 latter fish abounds in streams clearer by far than those frequented 

 by the dace ; hence the art of stalking and taking cover must be 

 practised in a more marked degree when the angler is fishing for 

 trout. 



Furthermore, the fascination of trout-angling is unique ; the 

 thrill of excitement exists from the moment we prepare to cast the 

 fly to that of the netting of the fish ; but can this be said truthfully 

 of dace-fishing ? 



Now, in dace-fishing, is not the crisis of the incitation of our 

 sensibilities reached when we drive the " sharp steel " home into 

 the fish ? We obtain the same thrill, though it is considerably 

 feebler than that experienced beside the trout stream, when we cast 

 our fly and rise the fish. But at the moment the dace is hooked 

 there is the end of all fascination. For, although it is lively and 

 fights exceedingly well, the dace cannot be placed on the same 

 level as the game trout. We have seen that it is naturally small ; 

 hence we become so accustomed to bring to bank fish after fish of 

 a quarter to half-a-pound in weight that the repetition has a 

 tendency to monotony. The chief charm of fly-fishing for dace lies, 

 then, in the rising and the hooking of the fish ; and in this point alone 

 does it bear any comparison with that of fly-fishing for trout, in the 

 way of affording gratification to our senses at least, so it appears 

 to me. 



Nevertheless, I would not decry the alluring method of 

 " whipping " for dace. The sport itself has its peculiar delights, 

 and has much in common with trouting, both in the testing of the 

 angler's skill and in the excuse it offers for the enthusiast to seek 

 the companionship of Nature. It also offers consolation at a time 

 when trout-fishing is at its worst, providing incident and enjoyment 

 to fill the halcyon days. 



The chub is another of the fly-taking coarse fish. Although it 

 is neither particularly handsome nor in great demand as a table 

 delicacy, this fish, in spite of much unkindly criticism, has made 



