366 THE DRY-FLY MAN'S HANDBOOK 



There are days when every pike will lie still and be 

 taken by the wire, and there are other days when the 

 fish seem endowed with an extra sense and are almost 

 unapproachable. On the good days persevere and on 

 the bad ones abandon the attempt and wait for a more 

 favourable occasion ! Altogether it is fascinating work, 

 and during the many hours of a fine day when the 

 trout are not rising quite good sport can be obtained 

 by a keen fisherman searching every ditch and carrier 

 and helping in the good work of keeping down the 

 trout's enemies. As a general rule, afternoons, dull 

 and windy weather are unfavourable, and fine, calm 

 forenoons favourable for wiring. 



No doubt a number of pike in a trout-stream can 

 be killed by spinning, and the 

 Trimmering. wire is most efficacious wher- 



ever in the river or in carriers 

 the jack are visible, but there are positions where 

 neither is likely to be successful and where the trim- 

 mer is a most valuable adjunct. In a deep hole or 

 an eddy or corner of the river, given any pike at 

 all in the stream, one at least is almost sure to 

 have taken up its quarters. The arrangement 

 of a trimmer is a very simple matter. A withy or 

 flexible bough, eight or ten feet long, is driven 

 into the ground and bent over so as to project over 

 the place where it is either probable that a pike 

 is located or where it has positively been seen. A 

 short length of strong water-cord is fastened to the 

 upper end of this projecting stick, and is passed 



