300 FISHING GOSSIP. 
by dressing the flies of soft materials, which the 
water can agitate, and thus create a natural motion 
of the legs or wings? of the fly, than by dragging 
them by jumps of a foot at a time across and up a 
roaring stream. Trout are not accustomed to see 
minute insects making such gigantic efforts at escape, 
and therefore it is calculated to awaken their sus- 
picions. 
We believe that all fly-fishers fishing down must 
have noticed that, apart from the moment of alight- 
ing, they get more rises from the first few yards of 
their flies’ course than in the whole of the remainder ; 
and that when their flies fairly breast the stream 
they seldom get arise at all. The reason of this is 
clear: for the first few feet after the angler throws 
his flies across the stream they swim with the current; 
the moment, however, he begins to describe his semi- 
circle across the water, they present an unnatural 
appearance, which the trout view with distrust. 
Experienced. fly-fishers, following the old method, 
who have observed this, and are aware of the great 
importance of the moment their flies light, cast very 
frequently, only allowing their flies to float down a 
few feet, when they throw again. We have seen 
some Tweedside adepts fill capital baskets in this 
way; but as we have before stated, it will only 
succeed when the water is coloured, or when there 
is a body of clear water sufficiently large to conceal 
