PLAYING AND LANDING A FISH 205 



point should be dropped and everything left slack ; 

 to keep pulling is only to impel the trout to bury 

 itself more deeply in the weeds, or even to wriggle in 

 and out between the stems so as to escape the strain. 

 Let out plenty of line well below the fish, then laying 

 down, or spearing the rod, or holding it in one 

 hand, if preferred, take the line between the thumb 

 and forefinger of the other hand and apply a gentle 

 strain accompanied by a backward and forward or 

 swaying motion. After a time the presence of the 

 fish will be evidenced by movement. If this move- 

 ment is upstream, all must be left slack again, or the 

 fish will only weed more deeply. If downstream, the 

 line should be dropped, the rod resumed and the fish 

 be reeled down to the net. If it weeds a second time 

 the same tactics should again be pursued, and it may 

 be laid down as a rule that a weeded trout firmly 

 hooked will inevitably in time succumb to this treat- 

 ment, while a lightly hooked one will, with this or 

 any other procedure, probably escape." 



When the fisherman has handed the trout out of 



the weeds, if he is in a hurry, 



Hand-playing. or fears further entanglement, 



he can play the fish by hand. 

 This means that with the line lightly held between 

 the thumb and forefinger he can gather in the line 

 quietly hand over hand, using very little force. The 

 moment he experiences strong resistance, or if the 

 fish makes a run, he slacks at once, and then com- 

 mences once more to gather in the line by hand. 



