Howdy All;
I've gone and re-read the passages that I've quoted and like a lot of folks,
there is more room for interpretation than is necessary in my opinion ...
What I mean is,... what if we break it down.
* JL starts out by saying this; "Now, if I want to catch a trout, first I must know where
there are some to catch, If I want to catch a big trout I must first locate a big one or
be content with smaller ones " ... I interpret that to reading the water or seeking local
knowledge or experienced based best guess. ... y/n
* JL then says, " However, assuming that I have found my big trout," ... sighted or most
promising location to hold a big trout based upon his experience? ... y/n
* JL made the majority of his flies without weight being added. So, if he could feel the
bumpety- bump, then it most likely would have been shallow water ? ... y/n
* JL states that " I cast my fly up and across about fifteen feet or more above where the
big trout is located, depending on the pool and stream." ... Most likely a sighted fish ? y/n
Here is the part of the bumpety-bump ...
* Jl then says "Now I watch the fly. It is almost to him, and would only have to travel about
four more feet to pass right by his nose without his looking at it unless it can be made to
appear alive and escaping." ... Again, a sighted fish or best guess? y/n
I can see how we can tend to try to pry more information form this nifty piece of literature,
but the main thing to remember is that it was said by PH in the forward to the 1941 Edition;
" ... in addition to his extraordinary skills as an angler and flytier, this man possesses all of the
those valuable personal qualities which come to humble men ..."
Personal opinion, I don't feel that JL was being vague with his instruction to the Lift method...
it just isn't as complicated as we try to make it to be, rather it's a simple set of actions to either
a sighted fish or utilized to a location that, based upon the fisher's experience, is a highly likely
location for a trout to lie awaiting his next morsel.
Again, these are my thoughts on the matter, ... your mileage may vary.
hank
Striving for a less complicated life since 1949...
"Every day I beat my own previous record for number
of consecutive days I've stayed alive." George Carlin