n the
water. Every angler has experienced the annoyance of missing fish when
looking elsewhere for a single moment--either at another boat, or at a
fish "rising to itself," or at the sky, or at something else. When the
eyes were turned to the point from which they should not have been
diverted, they were just in time to see the water swirl, and the hand
gave a futile strike at what had disappeared a second before. Perhaps we
should have said at the beginning of this chapter to place implicit
faith in the flies with which you are fishing. Nothing is more
ridiculous than whipping the water with a cast, of the suitableness of
which you have any doubt; and to guard against any such chance, study
carefully the state of the weather and the wind. If very clear, use
sombre flies; but if a dark day, use brighter flies. You will of course
regulate the size according to the breeze, but as a rule, err on the
side of small flies. When you raise a fish, _strike at once_. It is
quite possible that by this method you may once in a while strike the
least bit too soon, but it is a safe plan to go by. There is always a
particle of a moment spent in the tightening of the line; and by the
time the angler sees a fish at his flies, he may safely conclude that it
has already seized or missed them, and the sooner he ascertains the true
state of matters by striking instantaneously, the better. If the fish
has not been touched by line or hook, cast gently over him again: the
chances are that there will be another rise, and, if the fish has been
feeding, every likelihood that the second or even a third time may be
lucky. In striking small fish, the least tightening of the line is
sufficient; but with large fish, when your tackle and hooks are strong,
strike _firmly home_ to send the steel well in, right over the barb.
Tackle that will not stand this had better be given away or
destroyed,--the latter for choice.

CHAPTER IX.

TROLLING.

Our readers will have guessed, from what has preceded this chapter, that
we don't believe in trolling if it can be avoided; but still there are
times and occasions on which it must be practised, and we plead guilty
to having gone in for it oftener than once, when we saw that fly-fishing
was useless. On the other hand, however, we have set out with a firm
determination to do a fair day's trolling,--and nothing but
trolling,--but somehow or another it has generally ended in fly-fishing
when we could, and t