1 06 Advantages of not striking. Chapt. vn. 



by striking, go at it again. No doubt it is hard to keep 

 cool under the circumstances, for "it gives one quite a 

 turn" to see a big fish roll over your bait, with every ap- 

 pearance of having taken it, and it is almost an instinctive 

 process to strike. But it should not be done. If he has 

 taken it, it will be unnecessary; for his weight will both 

 hook him, and tell you. If he has missed it, it is quite a 

 mistake to jerk it rudely away from him, and it will only 

 put him out. To exemplify the advantage of not striking,' 

 I may mention a 6>- lb. Mahseer coming up at my bait, and 

 turning over as if he had taken it. As I did not feel him 

 however, I pulled steadily on as if nothing had happened. 

 He immediately turned and rushed at it again. Again 

 be missed it, and my little bait went spinning demurely 

 on, as if there was not such a thing as a Mahseer in the 

 river. Round he turned and went at it the third time. 

 The line taughtened and virtue was rewarded. I felt all 

 over just like little Jack Horner, felt "what a good, boy 

 am I." The thing occurs daily, and, for my part, I can- 

 not understand why people dispute about whether, or not 

 you ought to strike a salmon. It is clear to my mind 

 both that you need not, and you should not. With trout 

 and small fish, it is quite another matter. 



I may add, that the salmon fly has yet another re- 

 deeming point, over and above those mentioned in Chapter 

 IV. Though in my opinion you catch fewer Mahseer with 

 the fly than spinning, still I think you have a better chance 

 of a variety of fish with the fly, than with a small fish. 

 Amongst the other fine carps that are more or less like 



