44

STRIKING, HOOKING, PLAYING,

can throw to the spot, then he should throw, as nearly as he can judge, a yard or two above it, and allow the flies to float down to the supposed place of the fish; if a rise do not occur, it may be concluded that the fish has removed without seeing the flies; he may then try a yard or two on each side of the place where the curl appeared, when he may probably have a rise, and may possibly hook the fish, provided he has the knack of striking, which knack, like all others, is acquired only by practice: it must be done by a very sudden, but not a very strong stroke—a twitch of the wrist. Having hooked him, the rod should be carefully retained in that position which will allow its greatest pliability to be exerted. For beginners to do this, it may be advisable that they should get it up over the shoulder, and present the buttend towards the fish. A gentle pull must now be kept upon the fish, and he should be led down the stream rather than up, making use of the reel as occasion may require to shorten the line. But if he runs in towards the bank upon which the fisherman stands, it will be necessary for him to approach the edge of the water as nearly as possible, holding the rod with an outstretched arm in almost an horizontal position, and if the reel is of the usual bad construction, it will be also necessary to pull in the line as quickly as possible with the left hand; this may prevent the fish from reaching his

AND HOW TO SECURE A FISH.

45

harbour: if it should not, he will most likely twist the gut round roots, &c., and break away. To kill him, the nose must be kept up as much. as possible, and should he be very importunate and resolute, he may be lent a little more line now and then, but it must be promptly retaken with tremendous interest, and got up as short as possible. After various fruitless efforts to escape, which exhaust his strength, the nose may be got fairly out of the water, the fish towed gently to the side, and the landing net passed under him. From the time of hooking the fish, if a large one, to the time of landing, care must be had that the line shall not be touched by the hand, excepting under the just-mentioned circumstances; all should depend upon the pliability of the rod. In case a landing net should not be at hand, the reel may be stopped from running back, the rod stuck up in the ground by the spike, and, both hands being disengaged, the fisherman may stoop down and grasp the fish firmly behind the gills. The principal differences between trout and grayling fishing are, that the latter requires a more delicate hand, a quicker eye, and the use of smaller flies upon the finest gut. The strike must be made on the instant of the rise. The fish may be sometimes seen, if he be of a good size and the water bright, a few inches before he gets up to the fly, and the fisherman must strike immediately that

46

OPINIONS OF OTHERS.

he does so, for his motion at the instant of seizure is too rapid to be visible. When the fisherman comes upon a favourable place for grayling, he should recollect that this fish does not follow the fly as the trout does, and should therefore allow it to float down the stream in a natural way; for should a grayling be waiting for it, and it is drawn away, the fish will be disappointed of that which it was the fisherman's intention to entertain him with.' It must also be remarked here that the mouth of the grayling is much more tender than that of the trout, therefore much more care in landing is required; and a landing net is generally indispensable, especially when the banks are high, for the mouth will seldom bear his weight out of the water."

This chapter is a long and important one. Unless you carry into practice its precepts, you will never become a good angler. It teaches the great branches of the art,-throwing a line, hooking, playing, and landing a fish. When you understand them, nearly all you require to know is, the best sort of tackle and the best baits for the several fishing months. I have quoted, and shall quote, authorities who differ from me in opinion. I respect them. Let the reader do so likewise, and if he finds by experience their opinions better than mine, let him follow them. All I desire is to place valuable opinions before him.

THROWING THE FLY FOR SALMON. 47

When I come to the chapter on salmon, I shall accurately describe the mode of throwing the fly for him,—how to humour the flies he takes, strike, hook, and play him. My instructions, hitherto, principally relate to the capture of salmonidæ.

48

ON ARTIFICIAL FLIES.

CHAPTER III.

ON ARTIFICIAL FLIES.

Of late years a new doctrine-in my opinion a totally wrong one has been sent forth about artificial flies. Some Scotch writers were the first promulgators of it, and they have carried it to ridiculous extravagance. They positively maintain that there is no likeness between the natural fly and the artificial one, and that when natural flies are on the water the angler will be more successful by using artificial flies as widely different from them in shape, colour, &c., as may be. A nondescript artificial fly will succeed better, they say, than a bad resemblance, and every attempt at imitation, in their opinion, produces at the best but a bad resemblance. These angling heretics contend that fish rising at a natural fly immediately detect, by comparison of course, the bad imitation, and refuse to rise at it, whereas they will rise at some outlandish artificial that differs, as much as chalk does from Cheshire cheese, from the living fly on the water. They say, that when they go fly-fishing they catch some of those flies that are on the water, and fish with artificial flies totally different from them, and invariably meet