AN APOLOGY FOR FISHING 51 



him a sheet of water, containing, as he has reason 

 to suppose, a certain number of fish, some compara- 

 tively stationary, some darting hither and thither, 

 all very much alive, very watchful, constantly on 

 the look-out both for what may bring them advan- 

 tage in the shape of food of divers kinds, or for 

 what may give them cause for apprehension, in the 

 shape of fish larger than themselves and of a pre- 

 datory nature, herons, otters and, above all, men. 

 To these creatures, vigilant, timorous, suspicious, it 

 is the angler's business to present an object which 

 they are to suppose is an insect which has dropped 

 into the water and is floating down with the stream 

 more or less near to the surface. If the fisherman 

 succeeds in conveying this impression ; if his coun- 

 terfeit insect is a successful piece of imitation ; if 

 the fly which it imitates is one for which the fish 

 has a liking, and if the fish itself happens at the 

 particular moment to be " on the feed " — if all 

 these conditions are fulfilled, then it will happen 

 that the trout will rise swiftly through the water, 

 will seize the bait, and the fisherman's object will 

 be gained. This desirable consummation is, how- 

 ever, harder of attainment than might be supposed. 

 Very much is implied in the bringing that trans- 

 action which has just been described to a successful 

 issue. If the particular portion of the stream into 



