■144 NOTES ON FISH AND PISHING. 



the amateur poacher, but a veritable sportsman, who ties 

 his own flies and will often imitate some creature he sees 

 on the water at a moment's notice. You can soon hear of 

 him, and, I fear, often find him at one of the hostelries of 

 the district. Be open with him. Tell him you want a hint 

 or two. Do not forget that he is not averse to "refresh- 

 ment." Suggest humbly that you would feel honoured 

 with his company on the morrow to carry your creel and 

 mackintosh, &c, and you will probably have secured a 

 friend, philosopher, and guide, who will put you up to a 

 thing or two, and conduce to filling your basket. 



The following, I think, is a sound principle. In compa- 

 ratively smooth water your artificial fly should be as good 

 an imitation of nature as possible, for the fish take it be- 

 lieving it to be a real fly. It is otherwise in rapid streams, 

 or parts of streams, where the fish have not so much oppor- 

 tunity of observation or time to think. There they dart at 

 your lure simply because they hope it is "something to eat." 



This another. Use a dark fly for dark waters and a 

 bright fly for bright waters, notwithstanding the most 

 apparently reasonable arguments to be adduced per contra. 



Remember there is a great deal in the size of your flies. 

 You must learn beforehand the peculiar gastronomic fancy 

 of the fish in the stream you contemplate fishing. Fish 

 of 4 lbs. take a tiny gnat on a tiny hook in some of the 

 Hampshire waters, while in many streams trout no larger 

 than your middle finger insist on having a large fat hackle 

 fly fit for a 5 lb. chub. Eead " Stoddart" on the she of 

 flies. I am a firm believer in his views on this point. 

 Generally, as the water in a river lowers and clears, 

 decrease the size of your flies. When the water begins to 

 rise trout seldom take the fly well. They seem alarmed. 



