with an ARTIFICIAL FLY, which also I will shew you how to make before I have done: but, first, shall acquaint you, that, with this, you are to angle with a line longer by a yard and a half, or sometimes two yards, than your rod and with both this and the other in a still day, in the streams, in a breeze that curls the water, in the still deeps, where (excepting in May and June, that the best Trouts will lie in shallow streams to watch for prey, and even then too) you are like to hit the best fish.'

For the length of your ROD, you are always to be governed by the breadth of the river you shall chuse to angle at: and for a Trout-river, one of five or six yards long is commonly enough; and longer (though never so neatly and artificially made) it ought not to be, if you intend to fish at ease; and if otherwise, where lies the sport?

Of these, the best that ever I saw, are made in Yorkshire; which are all of one piece, that is to say, of several, six, eight, ten, or twelve pieces, so neatly pieced and tied together with fine thread below and silk above as to make it taper like a switch, and to ply with a true bent to your hand. And these, too, are light, being made of fir-wood for two or three lengths nearest to the hand, and of other wood nearer to the top, that a man might, very easily, manage the longest of them that ever I saw, with one hand. And these, when you have given over angling for a season, being taken to pieces and laid up in some dry place, may afterwards be set together again in their former postures, and will be as strait, sound, and good, as the first hour they were made, and being laid in oil and colour, according to your master Walton's direction, will last many years.

The length of your LINE, to a man that knows how to

(1) For Fishing with two or more flies: see note on p. 298.

handle his rod, and to cast it, is no manner of incumbrance, excepting in woody places and in landing of a fish, which every one that can afford to angle for pleasure has somebody to do for him. And the length of line is a mighty advantage to the fishing at distance; and to fish fine and far-off, is the first and principal rule for Trout-angling.'

Your line in this case should never be less, nor ever exceed, two hairs next to the hook; for one (though some, I know, will pretend to more art than their fellows,) is indeed too few, the least accident, with the finest hand, being sufficient to break it: but he that cannot kill a Trout of twenty inches long with two, in a river clear of wood and weeds, as this and some others of ours are, deserves not the name of an Angler.'

Now, to have your whole line as it ought to be, two of the first lengths nearest the hook should be of two hairs a-piece; the next three lengths above them of three; the next three above them of four; and, so, of five, and six, and seven, to the very top: by which means, your rod and tackle will, in a manner, be taper from your very hand to your hook; your line will fall much better and straighter, and cast your fly to any certain place to which the hand and eye shall direct it, with less weight and violence, that would otherwise circle the water, and fright away the fish.

3

In casting your line, do it always before you, and so

(1) An artist may easily throw twelve yards of line, with one hand; and with two, he may as easily throw eighteen.

(2) See the direction for your rod and line, in the notes on Chap. XXI. Part I.

(3) Till you are a proficient, every throw will go near to cost you a hook: therefore practise for some time without one. Hawkins.

Management of the line, when Fishing either with one fly, or two or more flies. When you have fixed your rod properly with your winch thereon, [see p. 114, n. describing Winch and Rings,] and brought your line from it through the rings of your rod, loop on to it, by the strongest end, your foot-length; which should be about three yards and a half long; made of good, strong, single silk-worm gut, well tied, and the knots neatly whipped, running a (very little) finer towards the bottom-eud, at which place there must be a neatly-whipped

that your fly may first fall upon the water, and as little of your line with it as is possible: though if the wind be stiff, you will then, of necessity, be compelled to drown a good part of your line, to keep your fly in the water. And in casting your fly you must aim at the further, or nearer bank, as the wind serves your turn, which also will be with and against you, on the same side, several times in an hour, as the river winds in its course, and you will be forced to angle up and down by turns accordingly, but endeavour, as much as you can, to have the wind, evermore, on your back. And always be sure to stand as far off the bank as your length will give you leave when you throw to the contrary side: though when the wind

loop: then take your end-fly, or stretcher, which should be made with one or two lengths of good level gut, full as fine as, or a little finer than, the bottom link of your foot length, tied and whipped neatly together, and looped nicely at the end loop this to the end of your gut-length and then, your drop-fly just above a knot, where whipped, about a yard from the end-fly, to hang from the line, not more than two or three inches. If you chuse to fish for more, keep them all about the same distance. And observe that if your droppers be larger than, or even as large as, your stretcher, you will not be able to throw a good line but a beginner should never use more than one fly.

Instructions for throwing the line.

When thus prepared, let out the line, about half as long again as the rod and holding the rod, properly in one hand, and the line just above the fly, in the other, give your rod a motion from right to left: and as you move the rod backwards, in order to throw out the line, dismiss the line from your hand at the same time: and try several throws, at this length. Then let out more line; and try that: still using more and more, till you can manage any length needful: but about nine yards is quite sufficient for a learner to practise with. Aud observe that in raising your line, in order to throw it again, you should wave the rod a little round your head, and not bring it directly backwards: nor must you return the line too soon, nor until it has streamed its full length behind you, or you will certainly whip off your end-fly. There is great art in making your line fall light on the water, and shewing the flies well to the fish. The best way that I can direct is, that when you have thrown out your line, contriving to let it fall lightly and naturally, you should raise your rod gently, and by degrees; sometimes with a kind of gentle tremulant flourish, which will bring the flies on a little towards you; still letting them go down with the stream, but never draw them against it, for it is unnatural: and before the line comes too near you, throw out again. When you see a fish rise at a natural fly, throw about a yard above him, but not directly over his head; and let your fly (or flies) move gently towards him, which will shew it to him in a more natural form, and tempt him the more to take it. Experience and observation alone, however, cau make an angler a complete adept in the art, so as to enable him to throw his fly behind bushes and trees, into holes, under banks, and other places mentioned as the Trout's haunts, and where the best fish are to be found.Taylor's Art of Angling.

will not permit you so to do, and that you are constrained to angle on the same side whereon you stand, you must then stand on the very brink of the river, and cast your fly to the utmost length of your rod and line, up or down the river, as the gale serves.

It only remains, touching your line, to enquire whether your two hairs next to the hook are better twisted or open? And for that I should declare that I think the open way the better, because it makes less shew in the water, but that I have found an inconvenience or two, or three, that have made me almost weary of that way; of which one is, that, without dispute, they are not so strong open as twisted; ' another, that they are not, easily, to be fastened of so exact an equal length in the arming that the one will not cause the other to bag, by which means a man has but one hair upon the matter to trust to; and the last is, that these loose flying hairs are not only more apt to catch upon every twig, or bent, they meet with, but moreover, the hook, in falling upon the water, will, very often, rebound and fly back betwixt the hairs, and there stick, (which, in a rough water especially, is not presently to be discerned by the angler,) so as the point of the hook shall stand reversed; by which means your fly swims backward, makes a much greater circle in the water, and till taken home to you and set right, will never raise any fish, or, if it should, I am sure, but by a very extraordinary chance, can hit none.2

Having done with both these ways of fishing at the top, the length of your rod, and line, and all, I am next to teach you how to make a fly; and, afterwards, of what

(1) In the original, the words are twisted as open, contrary to what is, evidently, from the connection, the Author's meaning: the Editor has therefore transposed the words.

(2) This and the other inconveniences mentioned in this paragraph, are effectually avoided by the use of a fine grass, or gut, of about half a yard long, next the hook. See Notes on Chap. XXI. Part I. p. 228.