ing them to an extent to frighten them away or prevent their biting; indeed, the unnatural shaking or disturbance of a bush near the brink, by the careless angler, will alarm the denizens of the stream more than the most highlyvarnished and brightly-mounted rod ever made, when waved over the stream by an angler who keeps himself hid from view; and herein lies, to my mind, the key to this whole matter.

It is the angler who scares the Trout, and not his rod; and this probably applies with more force to the comparatively narrow and open streams of Great Britain than to the more extensive waters of our own country; this view seems more probable in connection with the fact that Mr. Francis advises casting sideways instead of overhead, which method could only be practiced successfully on narrow streams, for sideway casts are necessarily short ones, and would not answer at all for most of our waters. There are situations, however, when the sideway cast can be used advantageously, and is used occasionally by all good fly-fishers.

The main rules to be observed in fly-fishing I conceive to be these on narrow streams to keep entirely out of sight, and on open waters to make long casts; in either case, the fish, not seeing the angler, will not be alarmed at the flashing of the rod; the finer the water the greater the caution that must be used on the one hand, and the longer must be the cast on the other.

Mr. Francis does not offer any remedy for the varnished rod, but merely suggests that it might answer to paint it sky-blue, or a dull, smoky tint, without polish; but this, I know, will not do. I have seen rods that had the varnish scraped off and were painted a delicate pea-green, to

harmonize with the foliage of Trout streams, and I have seen the bark left on alder, elm, and tamarack poles when used in bait-fishing, but they were not more successful than the varnished rod.

Split bamboo and other jointed rods must of necessity be varnished to preserve their elasticity and beauty. Think of a delicate split bamboo tip coated with sky-blue paint! The very thought is heresy, and an offense against the eternal fitness of things that would make even the spots on a Brook Trout blush more deeply crimson. American split bamboo rods are the finest made rods in the world, and the numerous foreign orders received by the manufacturers fully attest this fact, and show, moreover, that they are duly appreciated abroad, as well as at home, highly varnished and flashing though they be.

There is one feature of this subject that is peculiarly gratifying to me, and I heartily thank Mr. Francis for the article in question. It concedes the fact that fish, having eyes, can see, and are not the near-sighted dupes that most writers would have us believe; this concession could not be put in a stronger light than by the assertion that they are frightened at the flashing of a varnished rod, and that a rod, therefore, should be rendered as nearly invisible as possible by painting it a sky-blue or cloud color. But if this were done, what a quantity of brash wood and poor workmanship, and what a multitude of sins of omission and commission would this sky-blue mantle, like charity, cover!

When fish are frightened at a fishing-rod at all, it is when its shadow is suddenly cast upon the water—which all prudent anglers are very careful to avoid doing, especially on small streams-and, viewed in this light, a sky

blue rod has not even a fancied advantage over the most highly-polished one.

The most important rule, then, to be observed, first, last, and all the time in fly-fishing, is: Keep out of sight of the fish; this is the first and great injunction; "and the second is like unto it:" Keep as quiet and motionless as possible. "On these two" laws depends all your success in fly-fishing. Let your necessary movements be deliberate and methodical, avoiding all quick, sudden, or energetic motions. Fish see and hear much better than we give them credit for. To keep out of the fish's sight we must be screened by such natural objects as bushes, trees, rocks, etc., or by keeping well back from the brink and making long casts. In wading the stream it is also necessary to make long casts. The latter is the best plan of fishing a stream, as the angler, being so near the water, is not so apt to be seen.

It is best, always, to fish down stream, even with the wind against one, for fish always lie with head up stream, and will be more apt to see your flics. The current will, moreover, take your flies down stream, and so keep your line taut. It is also easier to wade down, than up stream. Many other reasons might be given, but these will be sufficient. Cast just below ripples and rapids, over eddies and pools, along the edges of weed patches, under projecting banks and shelving rocks, near submerged trees or driftwood, off gravelly shoals, isolated rocks and long points or spurs of land; it is useless to fish long, deep, still reaches of water.

The most favorable time for fly-fishing for Black Bass is during the last hours of the day, from sundown until dark, and also on bright moonlight evenings. On streams,

an hour or two following sunrise, in warm weather, is quite favorable. On dark, cloudy, and cold days the middle hours are best. Bright sunny days, especially in hot weather, are not favorable to fly-fishing, except in quite cool, shady, and breezy situations. In short, the best conditions are a mellow or dusky light, a good breeze, and translucent water; while the most unfavorable are a bright sun, a still atmosphere, and a smooth and glassy surface, with the water either very fine or very turbid.

And now, in concluding this portion of my subject, let me say a parting word to the beginner: Cast a straight line; keep it taut; strike upon sight, or touch; kill your fish on the rod; take your time. It is better to cast a short line well, than a long one bunglingly. Should you cast your fly into a branch of a tree overhead, or into a bush behind you, or miss your fish in striking, or lose him when hooked, or crack off your tail-fly, or slip into a hole up to your armpits-keep your temper; above all things don't swear, for he that swears will catch no fish. Remember, yours is the gentle art, and a fly-fisher should be a gentleman.

CHAPTER XXII.

CASTING THE MINNOW.

"And as to the rest that concerns this sort of angling, I shall wholly refer you to Mr. Walton's direction, who is undoubtedly the best angler with a minnow in England."-CHARLES COTTON.

NEXT to fly-fishing, casting the minnow is the most artistic mode of angling for the Black Bass. To obtain all of the pleasure and sport embodied in this style of fishing, none but the best and most approved tackle should be employed, which should approach, in its general features of elegance and lightness, the implements used in fly-fishing.

A faithful study of the conformation, habits, and idiosyncrasies of game fish should be the first consideration of the true angler; though the average angler usually contents himself with a superficial knowledge of the ways and means of capturing and killing the finny tribe, a big catch being the height of his piscatorial ambition. While good tackle is essential to success, a thorough knowledge of the habits of the fish is a sine qua non, without which no one can become an expert and successful angler.

Apropos of this might be mentioned the old and hackneyed story of the rustic youth with alder pole, twine string, and worm bait, and the soi-disant angler with split bamboo and well-filled fly-book, who indulged in a day's fishing on the same stream, with the result of a "big string" for

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