122 TROUT FISHING 



sometimes a fly with a black body, and 

 sometimes a fly without wings. You 

 may have to try a good many lures before 

 you hit upon the right one ; but when 

 you do there is no room for doubt. For 

 every fish that takes either of the other 

 flies two or three take the right one. 

 Often, too, the trout change their pre- 

 ference from day to day. 



What happens on unfrequented waters, 

 to which I have referred because there 

 the trout are most obviously in a state 

 of nature, happens on streams and lakes 

 that are whipped the whole season 

 through. 



When the natural flies by which we 

 could interpret the preferences are, as 

 often happens, not to be seen, all this is 

 very puzzling ; but it cannot be attributed 

 to caprice. Far from being capricious, 

 trout, I seriously think, are not even 

 capable of acquiring wariness. Often we 

 hear that the fish in such-and-such a river 

 are very cunning. " It is so much fished," 

 we are assured, "that it takes the very 



