NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLY-FISHING. 455 
the art of fascinating a fish seldom of more than 20 ounces 
in weight. No one of these men would care for taking 
trout in any way unaccompanied by difficulty, and attain- 
able without dexterity; but when it is found that by long 
practice, and careful observation, a feat can be accom- 
plished which no other means will give, thea the man who 
has mastered the power congratulates himself upon its 
possession, and is not unnaturally pleased in being enabled 
to display it, by showing what may be done after another’s 
failure. Rivalry is the great zest in sport of all kinds, 
and the trout taken by an artist, in water which has been 
well flogged by his inferiors, are thought much more of 
than those landed where they rise to any bungler’s throw. 
But to proceed to such a general description as may be of 
some little use to the tyro, I must first observe, that he 
should confine himself to a single-handed rod with a mod- 
erately long line—say, of from 15 to 18 feet, which he 
should at once draw off the reel, and of which he should 
hold the gut in his hand near the fly. With this he may 
proceed to fish the river which is the seat of his intended 
sport, and may walk quietly along its bank, throwing 
successively over every yard of likely water; but always 
fishing first the water nearest to him, and lengthening or 
shortening his line according to circumstances, such as the 
breadth of water, the freedom from trees, &c. He will 
find that he must not throw straight across the river, 
neither must he allow the fly or flies to be drawn too near 
his own bank, or he will not be able to lift them cleverly 
from the water, so as to get such a clear sweep as will 
enable him to re-cast them with precision and delicacy. 
