Stealth and cunning are the primary rules. Your approach must be muffled, and you cannot plunge through the stream-side willows and alders without alarming the fish. Your final presentation must be gentle, placing your fly softly in the current so the trout will not be frightened. Careful fishermen will most often approach from downstream on a small river, behind skittish trout, and usually conceal themselves behind willows and tree trunks and grass. It is valuable to watch the reaction of the fish, either taking the fly readily or refusing it. Such lessons are not easily learned on larger streams, where you seldom see the trout at close range.
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There are moods when the cacophony and leg-wearying power of a big river become oppressive. Difficult wading and countless double hauls can erode both body and soul. Big water holds big trout, and there is a period in the maturing in the career of every fisherman when he is addicted to the pursuit of a trophy-size fish. Once you have that fever in your blood, it is a passion that drives you beyond good judgment.
