238 SALMON AND TROUT. 
this system that my not doing so was the cause of my want of 
success. They may be right, but I cannot agree with them, and 
I am convinced that striking a fish, in any form, is a mistake. 
Many fishermen advocate striking with the line held tight ; 
this is accomplished by a sudden upward jerk of the point of 
the rod the moment the fish is seen to rise, or that it is felt that 
he has taken the fly ; this is in my opinion the worst possible 
method, and a very risky one, although it is the one generally 
adopted. I think the habit has been acquired in consequence 
of the majority of salmon fishermen having fished for trout in 
their younger days, before they were allowed to handle a salmon 
rod. Fishing for trout and grayling and fishing for salmon 
are two very different arts; the former are far quicker than a 
salmon in their action when rising to a fly, and require great 
dexterity to hook them, but even they do not require to be 
what is called ‘struck’ at in the sense that is meant in striking 
a salmon ; and a slight turn of the wrist, which may be called a 
strike if it pleases anyone to do so, is all that is required to fix 
the barb of a trout fly. Ifthe rod was suddenly jerked up, as 
when striking a salmon, the chances are, with a heavy trout, the 
casting line would break, and perhaps the rod into the bargain. 
I am inclined to the belief that striking from the winch would 
suit trout fishing better than salmon fishing. The evil arising 
from striking at a rising fish with the line held tight, is that 
there is great risk, owing to the sudden jerk of the rod, of 
either smashing the top or leaving the fly in the fish’s mouth, or 
should the fly be suddenly snatched away from him in the acu 
of rising, the disappointment would most likely scare him to 
such a degree that he would not rise a second time. I have 
been told that it is necessary to strike at a salmon in order to 
prevent him from ejecting the fly ; I have already stated my 
opinion regarding the power of a salmon of ejecting his food. 
It is only natural he should do so on finding that it was not 
natural food, but I have myself seen many salmon come at my 
fly with open mouth, and in such cases striking at him would be 
most likely to defeat the object in view, and the chances of 
