They do but act on experience. All the
largest surface-food--beetles, bees, and palmers--comes off the
shore; and all the caperers and alders, after emerging from their
pupa-cases, swim to the shore in order to change into the perfect
insect in the open air. The perfect insects haunt sunny sedges and
tree-stems--whence the one is often called the sedge, the other the
alder-fly--and from thence drop into the trouts' mouths; and within
six inches of the bank will the good angler work, all the more
sedulously and even hopefully if he sees no fish rising. I have
known good men say that they had rather NOT see fish on the rise, if
the day be good; that they can get surer sport, and are less troubled
with small fish, by making them rise; and certain it is, that a day
when the fish are rising all over the stream is generally one of
disappointment.
Another advantage of bank fishing is, that the fish sees the fly only
for a moment. He has no long gaze at it, as it comes to him across
the water. It either drops exactly over his nose, or sweeps down the
stream straight upon him.
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