THE PSYCHOLOGICAL MOMENT 157 



at once cast over what he deems to be the spot where 

 the fish rose. In nine out of ten cases he will fail 

 to cover the fish, because it is almost impossible to 

 spot a rise accurately from any great distance. 



If his first cast lands his fly many yards above 

 the feeding fish he will in all human probability set 

 the trout down. If, as is far less likely to happen, 

 his fly has fallen some distance below the fish, he 

 will do neither harm nor good. 



The second alternative open to the fisherman is 

 to wait on in the hopes of seeing the trout come to 

 the surface once more. If it comes off he will hug 

 himself with satisfaction, and if perchance he should 

 succeed in rising and killing a sizable specimen, he 

 will be a convert for life to the principle enunciated 

 on an historical occasion of "wait and see." 



