ARE TROUT CUNNING? 119 



the right colours and the right shapes. 

 As the old gentleman had been so suc- 

 cessful that he could hardly have been 

 more so, it may be said that obviously 

 they must have been right in all respects. 

 This raises a delicate problem. 



Should our flies invariably be imitations 

 of_those which are on the water at the 

 time of fishing ? 



English fishermen, especially those 

 who frequent the southern chalk-streams, 

 where angling is a high art, think so, and 

 I myself, in a general manner, share their 

 opinion ; but there are great dubieties to 

 be resolved before absolute rules can be 

 formulated. Early in the season one 

 frequently catches trout after trout, quite 

 quickly, when neither a natural fly nor 

 a "natural rise" is to be seen. How 

 is that ? How can it be said that our 

 lures are correct imitations when there 

 are no flies to imitate ? The absence of 

 natural flies is not quite exceptional. It 

 is frequent. On what principle, then, do 

 we accept certain lures as appropriate 



