i8o A YEAR OF SPORT AND NATURAL HISTORY. 



some kind of vessel in order to reach the fish under the boughs 

 by means of a fly rod. If the angler be skilful with the Canadian 

 canoe no craft is more suitable, so very little disturbance of the 

 water being occasioned, whilst the fisherman is very low down on 

 the water. Once wit^iin range, all the paddling that is necessary 

 can be done with the left hand, and when a fish is hooked it does 

 not much matter for the moment what becomes of the canoe. 

 The next be.st craft is a sculling boat, one occupant sculling and 

 the other fishing. The sculler must learn to do his work noiselessly, 

 and when the boat is upon the scene of action, the sculls should not 

 be taken from the water at all. The angler should face the stern 

 and be gently backed towards the place where the fish may be 

 supposed to lie. A punt may, of course, be used for the work, 

 but it will be better if a paddle be employed instead of a punt 

 pole. 



Although the angler is using a fiy rod, it does not necessarily 

 follow that he is fishing with the fiy. In the quiet portions of the 

 river very good sport indeed may be had with the fly, a red or 

 black palmer being as good as anything, especially if a little piece 

 of wash leather be added as a tag. But it is not always that the 

 Chub are near the surface, and then a bunch of gentles or a small 

 frog, which will sink deep into the water, is more efficacious. 

 The bunch of gentles should not err on the side of economy, for 

 nature has provided the Chub with a large mouth. The frog is 

 used dead, and is strung upon a hook, head downwards, the hind 

 legs being bound to the hook shank. To this bait some motion 

 should be communicated when it is in the water ; and the Chub, 

 fortunately, do not take cognizance of the unnatural conduct of 

 the frog in progressing backw^ards. All they see is a frog, and are 



