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CHAP. V.

THE BEST RULES FOR ARTIFICIAL FLY-FISHING,

IT is the best fishing in a river somewhat disturbed with rain, or in a cloudy day, when the waters are moved with a gentle breeze: the south and west winds are the best: and if the wind blows high, yet not so but that you may conveniently guide your tackle, the fishes will rise in the still deeps; but if there is little wind stirring, the best angling is in swift streams.

In casting your line, do it always before you, and in such a manner that the fly may fall first on the water, and as little of your line with it as possible; but if the wind is high, you will then be forced to drown a good part of it, that you may keep the fly on the water; and endeavour, as much as you can, to have the wind at your back, and the sun in your face; but the winding of the river will frequently render that impracticable.

When you throw your line, wave the rod in a small circumference round your head, and never make a return of it before it has had its full scope for if you do the fly will snap off.

Although when you angle the day is cloudy and windy, and the water thick, you must keep the fly in continual motion, otherwise the fishes will discern the deceit.

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Upon the curling surface let it glide

"With natʼral motion from your hand supply'd,

66 Against the stream now gently let it play,

"Now in the rapid eddy roll away."

Let the line be twice as long as the rod, unless the river is encumbr ed with wood; and always

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stand as far off the bank as the length of your line will permit, when you cast the fly to the contrary side; but if the wind blows so that you must throw your line on the same side you are stand on the very brink of the river, and cast your fly at the utmost length of the rod and line, up or down the stream as the wind serves.

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You must have a quick sharp eye, and active, hand, to strike directly a fish rises; or else, finding the mistake, he will spew out the hook.

Small light coloured flies are for clear waters, and clear atmospheres, large dark coloured flies when vice versa.

When after rain the water becomes brownish, an orange coloured fly is taken greedily.

When fishes rise at the fly very often, and yet never take it, you may conclude that it is not what they like; therefore change it for one they do.

When you see a fish rise, throw your fly be yond him, and draw it gently over the place where he rose; and if it is a proper fly for the season, and you cast it with a nicety, the fish is

your own.

When you angle in slow running rivers, or still places, with an artificial fly, cast it across the water, and let it sink a little in the water, and then draw it gently over to you again, letting the current carry it slowly down. This is the best way for slow waters; but for quick ones your fly must always swim on the top, under the con tinual inspection of your eyes, which ought, for this kind of angling, to be as sharp as the basilisk's.

It is a good plan always to carry some dubbing, gut, hooks, and silk, out with you in a

small pocket-book, that you may be able always to imitate any fly you see the fish rise at more than others.

The lighter your flies fall on the water the better; this you will not accomplish by strength, but by practice, always raising your rod by degrees, after you have made your cast. A. young angler should never use more than one fly on the stretcher at first, but when he can throw out pretty well, he may add to the stretcher one or more droppers, observing always to let them be one yard asunder.

I shall now conclude these rules by giving the reader a passage relating to artificial fly-fishing, (with the alteration only of two or three monosyllables) from the Spring of that elegant and natural descriptive poet, Mr. Thomson, which cannot fail of contributing as well to his amuse-ment as instruction.

Soon as the first foul torrent of the brooks,
Swell'd with the vernal rains, is ebb'd away,
And, whit'ning, down their mossy-tinctur'd stream
Descends the billowy foam, then is the time,
While yet the dark-brown water aids the guile,
To tempt the trout. The well-dissembled fly,
The rod fine tap'ring with elastic spring,
Snatch'd from the hoary steed the floating line,,
And all thy slender wat'ry stores prepare;
But let not on thy hook the tortur'd worm,
Convulsive twist in agonizing folds,
Which, by rapacious hunger swallowed deep,
Gives, as you tear it from the bleeding breast
Of the weak helpless uncomplaining wretch,
Harsh pain and horror to the tender hand.
When with his lively ray the potent sun.
Has pierc'd the streams, and rous'd the finny race,、
Then, issuing cheerful to thy sport repair;
Chief should the western breezes curling play,
And light o'er ether bear the shadowy clouds,

High to their fount, this day, amid the hills
And woodlands warbling round, trace up the brooks;
Then next pursue their rocky channel'd maze
Down to the river in whose ample wave
Their little naiads love to sport at large:
Just in the dubious point, where with the pool
Is mix'd the trembling stream, or where it boils
Around the stone, or from the hollow bank
Reverted plays in undulating flow,

There throw, nice judging, the delusive fly,
And as you lead it round in artful curve,
With eye attentive mark the springing game:
Straight as above the surface of the flood
They wanton rise, or, urg'd by hunger, leap,
Then fix with gentle twitch the barbed hook;
Some lightly tossing to the grassy bank,
And to the shelving shore slow dragging some,
With various hand, proportion'd to their force:
If yet too young, and easily deceiv'd,

A worthless prey scarce bends your pliant rod,
Him piteous of his youth, and the short space
He has enjoy'd the vital light of heav'n,
Soft disengage, and back into the stream
The speckled captive throw; but should you lure
From the dark haunt, beneath the tangled roots
Of pendent trees, the monarch of the brook,
Behoves you then to ply your finest art.
Long time he, following cautious, scans the fly,
And oft attempts to seize it, but as oft
The dimpl'd water speaks his jealous fear.
At last, while haply o'er the shaded sun
Passes a cloud, he desperate takes the death.
With sullen plunge: at once he darts along,
Deep struck, and runs out all the lengthen'd line,
Then seeks the farthest ooze, the sheltering wood,
The cavern'd bank, the old secure abode;
And flies aloft, and flounces round the peol,
Indignant of the guile. With yielding hand,
That feels him still, yet to his furious course
Gives way, you, now retiring, following now
Across the stream, exhaust his idle rage,
Till floating broad upon his breathless side,
And to his fate abandon'd, to the shore
You gaily drag your unresisting prize,

CHAP. VI.

OF THE PRINCIPAL RIVERS IN ENGLAND AND PARTICU. LARLY THE THAMES.

THE rivers in England are said by Dr. Heylin, to be three hundred and twenty-five, though others increase their number to four hundred and fifty. It would be superflous here to treat particularly of their diversities, their situations, their distance and remoteness to each other, their nearness or vicinity to the sea, the qualities of their water, and the various species of fish they contain. Those that have a more iminediate intercourse with the sea, particularly of its influences, and have the same vicissitudes, the same fluxes and refluxes, the same salt water, and the same sort of fish which frequent those seas where they disembogue themselves. The mouths of the rivers are too deep to be fathomed by the cordage of a line; but more inland, and the farther distant from the common receptacle of waters, the rivers are most proper for the angler's diversion.

The principal rivers in England are the Thames, Severn, Trent, Tine, Tweed, Medway, Tees, Dove, Isis, Tame, Willey, Avon, Lea, Trevel, Lon, Nen, Welland, Davent, Calder, Wharf, Nid, Don, Swale, Hull, Ouse, and Are. The ri vers in Wales are reckoned above two hundred, the principal of which are the Dee, Wye,Conwy,

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