,,fishing ,,with ,,floating ,,flies     
,,fishing ,,with                        
,,floating ,,flies                      
,,by                                    
,,samuel ,g4 ,,camp                     
,,author ,,of ,,fishing ,,kits ,,and    
,,equipment1                      ,,fine
 ,,art ,,of ,,fishing1 ,,etc            
,,outing                                
,,handbooks    ,illustration            
,,new ,,york                            
,,outing ,,publishing ,,company         
,,mcmxiii                               
,,copyright1 #aiac1 ,,by                
,,outing ,,publishing ,,company         
,all rights reserved                    
,,contents        ,,chapter             
,,page           ,i4 ,,the ,,matter ,,of
 ,,equipment                        #i  
,,ii4 ,,the ,,fly ,,rod                 
#bb         ,,iii4 ,,the ,,reel1 ,,line 
,,and ,,flies                      #cf  
,,iv4 ,,how ,,to ,,cast ,,the ,,floating
 ,,fly                  #ee             
,v4 ,,where ,,and ,,when ,,to ,,use     

,,the ,,floating ,,fly        #fh       
,,vi4 ,,how ,,to ,,fish ,,the ,,floating
 ,,fly                  #hj             
,,vii4 ,,how ,,to ,,fish ,,the          
,,floating ,,fly1 ,,continued       #ic 
,,viii4 ,,insects ,,of ,,the ,,trout    
,,stream                  #ajg          
,,fishing ,,with ,,floating ,,flies     
,,fishing ,,with ,,floating ,,flies     
,,chapter ,i    ,,the ,,matter ,,of     
,,equipment      ,no man knows1 or ever 
will know1 the art of fly-fishing in its
  entirety1 and the present writer is   
far from claiming omniscience  in the   
matter4 ,wherefore the fact may well be 
emphasized that the  following pages are
 not intended for the expert--the       
seasoned  angler skilled in wet1 dry1   
and mid-water fly-fishing--but1 rather1 
for the beginner at the sport of fishing
 with floating flies and  for the novice
 who may take up fly-fishing with the   
purpose of  ultimately employing the dry
 fly4 ,at the outset1 before going into 
the details of the dry fly caster's     

equipment and methods1 it would  seem   
necessary to outline certain general    
phases of the subject  with special     
reference to the enlightenment of the   
veritable  beginner at dry or wet fly   
fishing1 and also with regard to the    
present status of the sport of dry fly  
casting practiced upon  ,american       
waters4    ,american dry fly fishing may
 be defined briefly as the art of       
displaying to the trout a single        
artificial fly floating upon  the       
surface of the stream in the exact      
manner of the natural  insect4 ,upon    
occasions1 somewhat rare1 indeed1 but   
nevertheless of  sufficient frequency to
 render the fact noteworthy1 the        
,american  dry fly man casts consciously
 to a rising and feeding trout--the     
invariable custom of the ,english dry   
fly purist4 ,on the trout  streams of   
this country1 however1 the orthodox     
manner of fishing  the floating fly is  
to fish all the water as when wet fly   
casting4    ,in ,america1 owing to the  

fact that the dry fly angler fishes the 
water and not the rise1 wet and dry fly 
fishing are far more  closely related   
than is the case in ,england where the  
orthodox  sportsman stalks the trout1   
casting exclusively to a rising and     
feeding fish2 from this it may be easily
 deduced that much of the  following    
discussion on the subject of fishing    
with floating flies  is--in the very    
nature of things must be--equally       
applicable to  either dry or wet fly    
fishing4    ,moreover1 angling          
conditions are such in this country that
 the  fly-fisherman to be consistently  
successful cannot rely solely  upon     
either one method or the other--he      
should be passably expert  with either  
the dry or the wet fly1 employing one or
 the other as  conditions warrant or the
 occasion renders imperative4 ,dry fly  
fishing conditions here and in ,england 
are quite dissimilar4 ,the  ,english dry
 fly specialist follows his sport1 in   
general1 upon the  gin-clear1 quiet     

chalk streams2 slow1 placid rivers1     
preserved  waters artificially stocked  
with brown trout 7,salmo fario71 and    
hard-fished by the owners or lessees4   
,the open season is a long one1         
extending1 taking an average1 from      
early in the spring1 about the first of 
,march1 to the first of  ,october2 and  
as a consequence of the steady and hard 
fishing the  trout naturally become very
 shy and sophisticated4 ,owing to the   
placidity of the streams the rise of a  
trout is not difficult to  detect1 and  
it seems to pay best to cast to a single
 trout actually  known to be on the rise
 and feeding rather than to fish all the
  water on the principle of             
chuck-and-chance-it4    ,on the other   
hand1 the ,american fly-caster largely  
enjoys his sport  upon the trout streams
 of the woods or wilderness2 erratic    
rivers  with current alternating between
 swift and slow1 broken water and       
smooth1 rapid and waterfall1 deep pool  
and shallow riffle4 ,while  insect life 

is not1 of course1 absent1 one can      
actually follow  such a stream for days 
without observing the rise of a feeding 
trout1 although1 as noted above1        
sometimes a rising fish will1 of        
course1 be seen2 but seldom will a      
sufficient number be observed to        
warrant the angler's relying exclusively
 upon casting to the rise4    ,that1    
indeed1 upon the average trout stream of
 this country1 the  well-chosen and     
cleverly cast floating fly has its place
 has been  amply proved by the          
experience of many anglers4 ,upon the   
typical  wilderness trout stream1 where 
the fish are both very abundant and     
totally uneducated1 dry fly fishing     
would be in the nature of a             
farce--although doubtless successful in 
view of the fact that the  wild trout of
 such a stream will rise to almost      
anything chucked  almost anyhow4 ,but   
the average ,american trout stream may  
now be  classed as a civilized stream1  
and it is upon such waters that the  dry

 fly has proved its worth by succeeding 
time and again1 under  certain          
conditions1 when the wet fly has failed4
    ,the conditions under which the     
balance of probable success is  on the  
side of the dry fly and against the wet 
will be more  particularly detailed in  
succeeding chapters2 in general1 it may 
be said that the angler who fishes      
largely upon hard-fished public         
streams--and that means the great       
majority of fly-fishermen--where  much  
whipping and wading of the stream by all
 sorts and conditions  of fishermen1    
good1 bad1 and indifferent1 have        
rendered the trout  wise in their       
generation1 cannot well afford to       
overlook the  possibilities of the      
floating fly4 ,in such streams the trout
 only  upon rare occasions are afforded 
the opportunity of seeing a single      
artificial fly1 singularly lifelike in  
appearance1 cocked and  floating in a   
natural way upon the surface--and they  
will rise to  such a fly1 if cleverly   

placed on the water in such a manner as 
not  to arouse suspicion1 when a drag of
 two or more wet flies would  only serve
 to set them down still more            
obstinately4    ,parenthetically1 in    
this connection1 in view of the fact    
that  fishing with the dry fly is beyond
 doubt a very successful method  of     
taking trout when or where other methods
 may have failed1 it  should be         
obvious--to put the matter on a strictly
 practical  basis--that the assumption  
of an holier than thou relation by  the 
dry fly enthusiast toward his brother of
 the wet fly1 on the  ground that dry   
fly fishing is more sportsmanlike1 is1  
to say  the least1 somewhat illogical4  
,surely there is little virtue  in the  
resort to and employment of an angling  
method of proved  deadliness under      
conditions which at the time render the 
sunken  fly harmless--however1 we are   
not here concerned with the ethics of   
the matter4    ,but dry fly casting     
does1 indeed1 call for a high degree of 

skill  on the part of the angler1 both  
in casting and fishing the fly2         
additionally1 it is imperative that one 
should be familiar with the  best there 
is in fishing tackle and know much about
 the habits of  the trout and of        
stream-life in general4 ,in a word1 the 
customary  rough-and-ready equipment of 
the average desultory fly-caster will   
not do--nor will the ordinary unrefined 
and casual methods of the  average wet  
fly fisherman4    ,to succeed with the  
dry fly1 the wet fly fisherman of       
average skill  must study to become     
still more proficient2 the veritable    
novice at  fly fishing for trout should1
 it would seem1 first become fairly     
adept with the wet fly before going on  
to the finer-drawn art of  dry fly      
casting4 ,therefore successful dry fly  
fishing1 as done in  ,america1 is       
predicated upon a thorough knowledge of 
the craft of  the wet fly fisher4       
,the beginner at fly-fishing must strive
 to become a first-rate  fly-caster--to 

cast a light and accurate fly1 not      
necessarily a  long line4 ,he must study
 fishing tackle in order to know the    
tools  best suited to the sport under   
normal conditions1 and also under  the  
conditions as he finds them4 ,he must   
familiarize himself by  much actual     
stream experience with the habits of the
 trout--learn  to read a trout stream as
 another man might read a book4         
,moreover1  he should cultivate the     
power of observation and apply it       
constantly to stream-life in general and
 the insect life of the  stream in      
particular4    ,the correct fundamental 
theory of fly-fishing for trout1 with   
either wet or dry flies1 consists in the
 closest possible  simulation1 by means 
of an artificial fly1 of the form1      
coloration1  and action of some natural 
insect then upon the water and upon     
which the trout are feeding4 ,in        
,england this theory has always  been   
very closely followed by expert         
fly-fishermen1 although over  there1 as 

in this country1 various fancy          
flies--not dressed to  counterfeit any  
certain natural fly--have long been in  
successful  use4 ,in ,england it is the 
custom of many good fly-fishers who are 
also skillful fly-tiers1 to take with   
them to the stream a small  kit of fly  
dressing materials and to tie at the    
stream-side correct  imitations of the  
natural flies then upon the water4      
,the ,american fly-fisherman1 speaking  
of the class generally1 has  never      
followed the theory of exact imitation  
of nature in the  selection of his trout
 flies4 ,the larger part of our         
so-called  ,american trout fly patterns 
are actually of ,english origin1 and    
were introduced to the waters of this   
country through the medium of  our first
 professional fly-tiers1 ,englishmen and
 ,scotchmen1 who1  as a matter of       
course1 after coming to this country1   
continued  to dress the patterns with   
which they were familiar4 ,a certain    
few of our most famous artificial flies 

are1 indeed1 of ,american               
invention--flies such as the ,seth      
,green1 ,reuben ,wood1 ,parmachenee     
,belle1 ,imbrie1 ,barrington1 and a few 
others4 ,other patterns1  so familiar to
 the fly-fishermen of this country that 
the fact  that they are not of ,american
 origin seems very strange1 are the     
coachman1 grizzly king1 ,montreal       
7,canadian71 ,cahill1 governor1         
cowdung1 silver doctor1 ,beaverkill--in 
fact1 nearly all of our most  killing   
and widely known patterns4    ,regarding
 the ,beaverkill1 the name of which is  
so suggestively  ,american to one at all
 familiar with the trout streams of the 
,east1 it might be well to amplify to   
some extent1 as ,i am sure  many anglers
 would otherwise take exception to the  
statement that  this fly is of ,english 
origin4 ,in ,familiar ,flies1 by ,mary  
,orvis  ,marbury--an invaluable book for
 the fly-fisherman--it is related  that 
an ,american angler1 fishing one day    
with a cast of three  ,english flies1   

had particularly good luck with a       
certain one of  the three1 and          
subsequently had the pattern copied by  
the famous  old-time fly-tier1 ,harry   
,pritchard4 ,at that time the fly was   
christened the ,beaverkill1 it being    
evident1 from the facts as  stated1 that
 the ,english name of the pattern was   
unknown to the  parties4    ,from the   
story as told in ,familiar ,flies it may
 be gathered that  even the persons who 
introduced the ,beaverkill to ,american 
waters  in time lost sight of the fact  
that the fly was originally dressed     
after an imported model4 ,personally1 ,i
 am sure that the ,beaverkill  is none  
other than the silver sedge1 a          
well-known ,english pattern  used       
frequently in both wet and dry fly      
fishing1 and ,i am certain  that anyone 
who will take the trouble to compare the
 two flies side  by side will quite     
agree with me4    ,as to the basic      
principle of trout fly-fishing1 that of 
approximating with the utmost fidelity1 

in the dressing and  manipulation of the
 artificial fly1 the shade1 shape1 and  
movement  of the natural fly1 various   
schools have arisen from time to time   
in advocacy of the greater importance of
 coloration as compared to  size and    
shape 7within reasonable limits1 of     
course71 or1 again1  of the action      
imparted to the artificial fly as       
compared with its  coloration1 size1 or 
form4 ,into matters of this sort it is  
needless  to enter here4 ,the practical1
 common-sense point of view would  seem 
to be that neither the proper color nor 
the correct imitative  action of the    
artificial fly can safely be disregarded
 by the  angler2 moreover1 the size and 
the shape of the artificial1 varied  to 
suit the occasion1 are factors of great 
importance4 ,by the  skilful employment 
of the modern tackle and methods of the 
dry fly  caster the angler approaches   
very closely to the ideal principle of  
his craft--exact imitation of nature4   
,recalling a foregoing statement to the 

effect that the ,american  fly-caster1  
in general1 has not to any serious      
extent followed  the theory of exact    
imitation of nature2 moreover1 in view  
of the  fact that practically no        
artificial flies are to be had dressed  
in imitation of the native insects      
common to our trout waters1 it  should  
be obvious that the dry fly caster must 
continue to rely  upon artificials of   
,english pattern or manufacture4 ,it is 
a fact1  however1 that it is possible1  
provided your fly book is passably  well
 filled with various patterns1 to       
approximate very closely the  appearance
 of many of the natural insects you will
 see upon the  water4    ,furthermore1  
in view of this state of affairs1 it    
would seem  best to avoid at this time  
any lengthy reference to the  entomology
 of the trout stream1 as leading only to
 confusion  worse confounded--there is  
an instant and imperative need of an    
authoritative ,american fly-fishing     
entomology and of a fairly              

comprehensive series of artificial      
flies1 dry and wet1 dressed in          
imitation of the native insects common  
to our streams and upon  which our trout
 are known to feed2 until these are     
available  we must adapt the means at   
hand to the end desired4 ,in this       
connection1 however1 it should be noted 
that it is not strictly  necessary for  
success that the angler at all times use
 an exact  copy of a natural            
fly--witness the wide employment of     
various  fancy patterns both here and   
abroad1 and the further fact that our   
native trout are still fortunately      
rather less discriminating in  the      
matter of rising to the artificial fly  
than the brown trout of  ,england4      
,the selection of the proper tackle for 
dry fly fishing is obviously  dependent 
upon a thorough knowledge of the manner 
in which it is  to be used4 ,possibly it
 is unnecessary to say that the dry fly 
caster invariably works upstream1       
casting1 preferably1 upstream  and      

slightly across the current1 and that   
between casts it is  generally necessary
 to dry the fly by several false casts1 
that is1  without allowing the fly to   
touch the water4 ,to the fly-fisherman  
of any experience it should be very     
plain that a first-class  fly-rod and a 
skilled wrist are somewhat essential4   
,moreover1 the  dry fly man works       
largely1 although not exclusively1 on   
the still  pools and quiet reaches1     
where only the best of tackle1 handled  
with a more than moderate degree of     
skill and care1 can produce  consistent 
results4    ,furthermore1 no little     
skill must be exercised by the angler in
  order properly to manipulate1 or fish1
 the single floater when  the cast has  
been made and the fly is upon the water1
 it must  be allowed to float naturally 
downstream in the manner of the  natural
 fly under like circumstances4 ,all of  
which sounds perhaps  not so very       
difficult1 but1 in practice1 the        
operation really has  complications of  

which the tyro little dreams4 ,it is    
true that a  dry fly possesses a certain
 degree of buoyancy1 but if bunglingly  
cast and subsequently awkwardly         
manipulated1 the fly is soon  drowned1  
drawn under water by the weight of a    
carelessly slack  line or from some     
other cause really1 as a rule1          
preventable by the  careful and skilled 
rod-handler4    ,indeed1 the            
difficulties of clean-cut dry           
fly-casting are such that  even an      
expert caster can do little with a poor 
equipment2 the  beginner1 therefore1    
should be extremely careful in the      
selection  of his tackle4 ,the          
disappointments and difficulties of the 
game are  quite numerous enough without 
starting in with the very serious       
handicap of a poorly adapted outfit4    
,,chapter ,,ii    ,,the ,,fly ,,rod     
,it would seem that the tentative dry   
fly caster cannot too  carefully        
consider the details of the rod which he
 will use in the  pursuit of the sport4 

,the majority of anglers cannot well    
afford  a battery of fly-rods2 moreover1
 there is no market for used  fishing   
rods1 as in the case of firearms1 so    
that if the rod proves  unsatisfactory  
it cannot be got rid of unless one      
practically  gives it away4 ,it is      
claimed that1 in time1 an angler will   
grow  to any sort of rod1 regardless of 
its unfitness to him personally  or of  
inherent faultiness in some respect2    
possibly this is true4  ,patience is1   
indeed1 a virtue possessed by many good 
fishermen1  but1 in this instance1 it is
 safe to say that not one fly-caster in 
twenty can bring himself to the         
continued use of a rod from which  he   
derives no pleasure and which actually  
handicaps him on the  stream4    ,the   
demands of dry fly casting on the rod   
are exacting in the  extreme4 ,on a     
river where there is much dry fly water 
probably the  rod does double the amount
 of work required of the wet fly rod2   
the need of continually drying the fly  

by false casting keeps the  rod in      
almost constant action4 ,if the rod is  
unsuitable in length1  balance1 or in   
some other detail of construction1 this 
continual  whipping in casting and      
drying the fly is anything but          
enjoyable4  ,if the rod is really poorly
 constructed1 of poor material1 and     
thrown together rather than             
painstakingly fitted1 a few hours  of   
dry fly work will surely bring about its
 relegation to the  scrap-heap--where1  
indeed1 it belonged in the first place4 
,the selection of the rod for dry fly   
work1 then1 should be made  with        
deliberation and based upon the best    
information obtainable4  ,in this       
connection it may be noted that it is   
the fashion with a  certain class of    
sportsmen to consider the purchase of a 
fly-rod  which1 relatively1 may be      
termed an expensive one1 simply a       
foolish  waste of money and entirely a  
matter of pretense and affectation4     
,usually this opinion is wholly the     

result of misinformation and  lack of   
experience4 ,no angler who ever had the 
pleasure of a  day's fishing with a     
first-class fly-rod--provided1          
initially1  he possessed sufficient     
skill and experience to thoroughly      
appreciate the revelation1 for the      
action of such a rod is1  indeed1 a     
revelation to one accustomed to the use 
of an inferior  article--ever willingly 
returned to the use of the makeshift rod
  with which perhaps he had theretofore 
been contented4    ,the purchaser of a  
shotgun is usually aware of the fact    
that  beyond a certain limit1 varying   
with guns by different makers1 he  is   
paying for finish pure and simple--not  
for practical shooting  efficiency in   
the weapon4 ,but in the case of the     
fly-rod this is  not true--with due     
deference to the opinion of the man who 
holds  otherwise1 simply1 ,i am sure1   
because he has yet to cast a fly with  a
 genuine fly-rod4 ,all this1 of course1 
within reason2 it should be  manifest   

that a merely highly ornate rod spells  
increased cost  without return in       
practical casting and fishing value4    
,however1 the  gingerbread fly-rod is so
 rare that it may safely be disregarded 
as a factor in the present              
discussion--also1 parenthetically1 as a 
factor in the day's score on the trout  
stream4    ,reducing the matter to the  
practical dollars-and-cents basis1 it   
may be said in all truthfulness that up 
to thirty dollars1 taking  an average of
 fly-rods by different makers1 every    
additional dollar  spent on the rod     
inevitably means a commensurate increase
 in the  rod's efficiency1              
serviceability1 and all-round           
desirability4 ,but  while no experienced
 fly-caster would1 ,i believe1 take     
exception to  the above1 it still       
remains to be said that if economy is1  
indeed1  an object--and that it is may  
usually be taken for granted--a  very   
good rod1 quite satisfactory in action1 
hang1 and general  construction1 may be 

obtained for half the above amount plus 
some  little discretion in its purchase4
 ,wherefore1 for the benefit of  the    
sportsman who is willing to grant that  
only the best of tools  are suited to   
the purpose of the fly-caster1 and      
particularly to  the work of the dry fly
 man1 but who1 nevertheless1 wishes to  
obtain his outfit with the least        
expenditure commensurate with real      
efficiency in the equipment1 it would   
seem desirable to describe  briefly the 
characteristics of a first-class        
fly-rod4    ,to the question1 ,exactly  
what constitutes a really efficient and 
satisfactory rod for dry fly-fishing8   
ninety-nine out of one  hundred expert  
and experienced fly-fishermen--men who  
have been  through the mill1 and so far 
as the rod is concerned1 passed  the    
experimental stage of the game--would1  
,i believe1 answer at  once1 with the   
utmost confidence1 practically as       
follows3 ,a rod  constructed by hand1 by
 an experienced rod-maker1 of thoroughly

  seasoned and carefully-selected       
split-bamboo1 in six strips2 in  length 
suited to the character of the water and
 the fishing upon  and for which it will
 be used1 having good balance 7not heavy
 in  or out of hand71 strength1 adequate
 casting power together with a  pleasant
 and resilient action1 a speedy not a   
slow rod1 not too  pliant nor too stiff1
 and1 finally1 beyond reproach in the   
matter  of guides1 windings1 handgrasp  
material1 ferrules1 and so on4    ,the  
sportsman familiar with the diversity of
 fishing-rod materials  will at once    
note the implied elimination of rods    
constructed of  the various solid woods1
 such as bethabara1 greenheart1         
lancewood1  dagama1 and others1 as well 
as of split-cane rods of other than     
six-strip construction1 such as the     
eight-strip1 steel-centered1            
double-built1 and so on4 ,it is not my  
purpose to consider at  length          
historically1 theoretically1 or         
practically1 the matter  of fishing-rod 

materials as compared one with the      
other--matters  quite fully discussed in
 my volume on ,fishing ,kits and        
,equipment4  ,rather it seems best to   
state once and for all that past        
experience  has proved and present use  
serves only to emphasize the fact that  
there is no better fly-rod1 all things  
considered1 for the trout  fly-fisherman
 than the one of six strips of cane1    
rent from the  whole cane1 carefully    
fashioned by hand and assembled with    
skill4    ,of the solid wood fly-rods it
 is generally believed that bethabara   
7washaba1 noibwood7 is the best4 ,my own
 experience with this  material has been
 such that ,i cannot discuss it with any
 great  enthusiasm4 ,greenheart is      
largely used in ,england for all sorts  
of  fishing-rods1 but over there1 also1 
the split-cane rod is conceded  first   
place for the trout fly-rod1 and is     
constantly increasing in  use4          
,parenthetically1 the present trend of  
,english anglers is toward  the use of  

shorter and lighter rods of the         
,american style1 the  two-handed        
fourteen-foot affair for trout          
fly-fishing being little  in evidence2  
in fact1 one of our most reputable firms
 of rod-makers  annually sends a        
considerable number of fly-rods to      
,england4 ,but  the split-cane fly-rods 
of the ,english makers and anglers are  
still  much stiffer and heavier1 length 
for length1 than those favored in  this 
country4 ,for instance1 a split-cane    
fly-rod constructed by a  very famous   
firm of rod-makers according to the     
directions of ,mr4  ,f4 ,m4 ,halford1   
whose angling books and articles1       
largely on dry  fly-fishing1 are        
absolutely authoritative as well as most
 readable1  sensible1 and genuinely     
informative for the ,american as well as
  the ,english fly-fisherman1 is nine   
and a half feet in length with a  weight
 of nine and a half ounces4 ,an         
,american split-bamboo fly-rod  of this 
length would not1 at the utmost1 weigh  

over six ounces4  ,moreover1 this       
proportion of weight to length--except  
in rods  called featherweights--is      
maintained throughout the general run   
of ,english split-cane fly-rods in      
common use4    ,the ,american fly-caster
 for trout need not concern himself     
other  than theoretically1 as a matter  
of general angling information1  with   
octagonal1 double-built1 or             
steel-centered split-cane rods4         
,eight-strip rods are commonly produced 
in this country--at a  considerably     
higher figure than the rod of six       
strips--but it is  generally and wholly 
agreed among those who know that there  
is  nothing to recommend the octagonal  
over the hexagonal rod4 ,the            
double-built rod--a rod in which each   
triangular strip of cane1 as  finally   
ready for completing the rod1 is        
composed of two strips  cemented        
together1 superimposed1 thus having two 
thicknesses of the  hard outer          
enamel--is undoubtedly desirable where  

great strength is  imperative1 but      
hardly requisite for the trout fly-rod4 
,practically  the same may be said of   
the steel-centered rod4 ,double-built   
rods  are not made in this country4     
,only one firm of rod-makers produces  a
 steel-centered rod4    ,to the         
experienced fly-fisherman the           
impossibility of such a thing  as an    
all-round fly-rod is constantly more    
apparent4 ,no one rod  can1 in the very 
nature of things1 prove thoroughly      
adapted to  the variety of trout streams
 whipped by the angler even within a    
restricted territory4 ,angling          
conditions vary considerably with  each 
stream2 upon one water a rod of four    
ounces1 or even less1  eight feet in    
length is exactly the thing2 for another
 stream the  wise angler would rightly  
select a ten-foot rod of six ounces or  
thereabouts4    ,in view of this it is  
scarcely possible for one to recommend  
any  particular length or weight of rod 
as being the most satisfactory  and     

efficient4 ,for small trout in small    
streams only the lightest  tackle should
 be used for fly-fishing1 either wet or 
dry4 ,but1  particularly with reference 
to casting the dry fly1 it may be said  
that a fly-rod of from nine and a half  
to ten feet is the most  desirable for  
streams of average size4 ,while it is   
seldom necessary  for the dry fly caster
 to cast any great distance1 it is only 
in  the longer rods that really good    
casting power can be obtained2 and      
casting power1 in view of the preferable
 use of a somewhat heavy  tapered line  
and the constantly repeated process of  
drying the  fly1 ,is very necessary4    
,the ten-foot fly-rod1 other things     
being equal1 is probably  the most      
efficient tool for the dry fly          
fisherman4 ,however1 a                  
nine-and-a-half-foot rod is a sweeter   
rod to handle1 is suited to a  greater  
diversity of trout waters1 and1 granting
 good material and  action1 is          
sufficiently powerful for average       

work--the foregoing1  by the way1 with  
the understanding that increased length 
spells  increased capacity for handling 
the line1 which certainly does  not     
follow unless the rods are built on the 
same proportional  dimensions and in    
proportionate weights4 ,the five-ounce  
rod of  the tournament fly-caster is a  
very different matter from the          
five-ounce rod of the average practical 
stream fisherman4    ,the rod for dry   
fly casting must not be too light in the
 butt2  otherwise the rod will lack     
line-driving power2 the tip1 also1 must 
not be too light and pliant1 or it will 
result in the practical  impossibility  
of lifting the heavy tapered line       
quickly and neatly  from the water when 
a fair length of line is out4 ,however1 
while  a strong1 speedy1 and resilient  
rod is manifestly indicated1 its  action
 must not be too harsh--if possible the 
golden mean should  be the final choice4
 ,the fly-caster should never lose sight
 of  the fact that fly-casting1 pure and

 simple1 is by no means all of          
fly-fishing--that in the selection of   
the fly-rod its suitability  to         
striking1 playing1 and landing a trout  
must receive careful  consideration4    
,fly-rods which answer all too strongly 
to the quick impulse of the  angler's   
wrist when striking a rising fish are by
 no means rare4  ,bearing in mind the   
small flies and delicate leaders        
necessarily  used in dry fly fishing1   
the result of striking too strenuously  
can  easily be imagined1 but the fault  
cannot be corrected if the use  of a rod
 too stiff and harsh in action is       
persisted in4 ,moreover1  during the    
process of playing a trout1 it is       
essential that the rod  give and take   
with the movements of the fish1 exerting
 an even but  not too decided strain4 ,a
 stiff rod is a very risky one with     
which  to play a fish2 there is great   
danger of the unconscious employment  of
 too much force2 a trout even poorly    
hooked may usually be safely  landed if 

delicately handled1 but a fish quite    
firmly fastened can  easily be lost if  
forced by the angler4 ,a rod possessing 
just the  correct degree of elasticity  
and resiliency may often offset errors  
of judgment on the part of the angler   
while playing a fish1 but  a rod of     
incorrect action can never be other than
 a handicap no  matter how skilfully ,it
 may be handled4    ,in the selection of
 the dry fly-rod it is well1 however1   
while  avoiding the really stiff rod1 to
 favor one with an adequate degree  of  
backbone--in other words1 steer very    
clear of the whippy rod4  ,for dry fly  
casting no line is the equal of the     
double-tapered silk  line1 enameled or  
vacuum-dressed1 and a rather heavier    
article than  the ordinary level line   
chosen for wet fly fishing should be    
used4  ,the rod must have sufficient    
casting power to handle a line of this  
sort4 ,the line generally employed is   
size ,e4 ,the matter of the  mutual     
adaptability of line and rod will be    

treated later2 it can1  however1 be     
noted here that only a rod tending to   
stiffness rather  than whippiness is    
capable of rightly handling the line    
designated4    ,i have elsewhere        
7,fishing ,kits and ,equipment1 pages   
#dh-ej7  described the manner of testing
 a fly-rod with a view to  ascertaining 
its possession or lack of the various   
qualities and  characteristics outlined 
above4 ,therefore it seems best not to  
rehearse the matter here1 but1 in this  
connection and as a final  word on the  
question of the desirable fly-rod       
qualities from the  viewpoint of general
 utility and practical serviceability in
 dry  fly casting1 to simply suggest    
that you accept no rod1 by no matter    
what maker1 without first putting it to 
every possible test4 ,i have  endeavored
 to make it plain that a first-class rod
 is the result of  first-class labor and
 material1 and that it must possess a   
degree  of excellence not found in the  
common run of fishing rods4 ,the        

obvious corollary is that any sort of   
rod passed over the counter  to you     
should not be duly and dutifully        
accepted on anyone's mere  say-so4      
,regarding the practical details of the 
rod1 apart from the general  matters    
already discussed1 and recalling the    
recommendation of  six-strip            
construction1 it would seem that much   
stream usage and  experimentation in the
 tackle shop and on the casting platform
  have resulted in the standardization  
of several forms of fly-rod  fittings as
 being best adapted to the purpose in   
hand and producing  the utmost          
efficiency in the rod4 ,in the matter of
 ferrules1 only  those of ,german silver
 should be considered4 ,also they should
 be  capped1 welted1 split or serrated1 
and waterproofed4 ,furthermore1  it is  
perhaps unnecessary to suggest the      
elimination of the patent  lock-fast    
joint--the omission being based upon the
 fact that  ,american rod-makers1       
knowing the efficiency and safety of the

  plain suction ferrules with which     
their rods are fitted1 employ no  other 
sort4    ,german silver is also the best
 material for the reel-seat4 ,it  should
 perhaps be noted that ,german silver is
 a substance varying  considerably in   
strength1 appearance1 and merit as      
applied to use  on the fly-rod2 the best
 ferrules and reel-seats of this        
material  are hand wrought and drawn to 
almost steel-like hardness4 ,the  writer
 would not advise a skeleton reel-seat  
for use on any  fly-rod for fishing     
either wet or dry4    ,it is generally  
conceded by experienced fly-casters and 
rod-makers  that the very best handgrasp
 for the fly-rod is of solid cork1      
formed by closely fitting a number of   
thick cork rings over a  wooden core4   
,cheap rods have handgrasps of thin cork
 sheathing  glued over a form of        
wood--about the most unsatisfactory of  
all  handgrasps4    ,steel guides1 of   
the snake pattern1 are preferable to    
those of  ,german silver2 in time the   

friction of the line wears deep grooves 
in the latter4 ,while not imperative it 
is1 nevertheless1 a good  plan to have  
the rod fitted with agate first and tip 
guides1  thereby eliminating much       
line-wear and friction1 which occurs    
principally at these points1 increasing 
quite appreciably the  casting power of 
the rod4    ,the rod should be plainly  
wound at intervals varying from not     
more than an inch at the butt to a      
quarter-inch at the tip4                
,experimentation in the matter of       
rod-windings has never resulted  in     
anything definitely better than the     
ordinary plain silk winding  carefully  
done and well-protected with varnish4   
,,chapter ,,iii    ,,the ,,reel1 ,,line 
,,and ,,flies      ,as in the case of   
fly-rods and fly-rod materials1 a       
complete1  comparative study of fishing 
reels is not here purposed4 ,it is      
hoped that the reader will accept as    
true the following statements  and      
suggestions regarding the reel and its  

selection--and this  applies equally to 
the other articles of equipment         
mentioned in  this chapter--without the 
necessity of much argument pro and con  
or  the presentation of many reasons in 
every instance4 ,in fact1 the  general  
matter of fly tackle is one which has   
been very thoroughly  threshed out in   
other books1 and1 as regards dry-fly    
fishing1  differs only in degree1 not in
 essentials4 ,it is the intent of the   
present chapter merely to take up the   
subject of fly-tackle aside  from the   
rod to an extent which will enable the  
beginner to start  right1 at any rate1  
without the necessity of reference to   
other  volumes or sources of            
information4    ,the single-action click
 reel has for many years been recognized
 by  experienced fly-fishermen as the   
only reel suited to the purpose4  ,in   
general1 multiplying reels1 whether     
double or quadruple1 are  entirely      
unsuited to use on the fly-rod4 ,the    
rapid retrieve of  the multiplier is of 

no advantage--rather the opposite--to   
the  fly-fishermen for trout4 ,line     
fouling occurs constantly over the      
projecting handle of the multiplying    
reel2 moreover1 as a general  thing1    
multiplying reels are too heavy for the 
purpose and balance  the rod poorly4    
,reels of the automatic persuasion have 
not received  the unstinted approbation 
of anglers4    ,granting that the       
single-action reel is exclusively the   
one with  which we need here concern    
ourselves1 it does not follow that there
  is little choice in the selection of  
the reel4 ,on the contrary1             
single-action reels are made of rather  
numerous materials and  certainly in    
varying degrees of desirability4 ,for   
use on the trout  fly-rod a reel of     
solid metal1 capable of holding thirty  
or forty  yards of double-tapered line1 
size ,e1 is apt to be too heavy1        
although this may possibly be a personal
 prejudice of the writer4  ,aluminum    
reels are1 of course1 light1 but reels  

of this material  are easily damaged and
 put out of commission--usually at a    
very  critical time4 ,the last statement
 applies also to reels of hard  rubber  
without metal protection4    ,possibly  
it is more or less a personal matter1   
but the writer  has always favored in   
single-action click reels of the        
ordinary  construction the reel of hard 
rubber with metal bands around the      
edges of the side plates4 ,these bands  
are either of nickeled brass  or ,german
 silver1 the latter naturally being the 
more expensive4  ,the band on the handle
 side of the reel projects over the edge
 so  as to form a protection against    
line fouling1 and the reel handle       
revolves within this protecting band4   
,the reels commonly used in ,england and
 also easily procurable in  this country
 are of the revolving-disc style--a very
 efficient  and satisfactory form of    
reel2 perhaps1 all things considered1   
the  best4 ,in the revolving disc reel  
the handle is attached directly to  the 

side plate1 which itself revolves and is
 affixed to the spool  or spindle4      
,the reel selected should be as light as
 possible1 but strong and  capable of   
holding at least thirty yards of        
double-tapered line of  size ,e4 ,the   
spool should be narrow2 that is1 the    
space between the  side plates          
contracted1 so that the line may build  
up quickly when  reeling in4 ,the click1
 or check1 should not be too stiff4 ,on 
the  other hand1 if it is weak and      
unreliable1 over-runs and back lashes   
will occur constantly4    ,regarding the
 size1 it should be noted that the sizes
 designated  in yards assigned to       
various reels by the tackle dealers are 
based  upon the reel's capacity for     
holding very small caliber line4  ,if   
the reel is to hold without crowding    
thirty yards of size ,e  double-tapered 
line the side plates must have a        
diameter of about  two and              
three-quarters to three inches1         
depending upon the make and  style of   

the reel4    ,the subject of the        
fly-casting line is worthy of far more  
extended  treatment than it can possibly
 receive here--it is doubtful  if there 
is any more interesting or vital        
question to the  fly-fisherman4         
,generally speaking1 with the right line
 all things  are possible2 but an       
unsuitable line is capable of defeating 
the  efforts of the most expert         
fly-caster4 ,in the selection of the    
line  there are two principal points to 
be considered3 ,the line must be  of the
 right material1 and its weight or      
caliber must be suited to  the rod upon 
which it will be used4    ,lines for    
fly-casting are usually known as        
waterproof1 enameled  silk lines4 ,this 
description hardly fits the             
vacuum-dressed line1  of which ,i shall 
speak in a later paragraph1 but the term
 may  be used as generally defining the 
very best line for the purpose  of the  
fly-caster with either wet or floating  
flies4 ,in order to  cast well the line 

must possess weight2 at the same time it
 must  be flexible without flimsiness1  
and smooth4 ,these requirements are     
fully answered by the enameled line1 and
 by no other4    ,at the present time it
 is generally believed by experienced   
anglers  that the soft-enameled1        
vacuum-dressed line of ,english         
manufacture  is the superior of all     
lines for dry fly casting and fishing4  
,lines  of this character are repeatedly
 filled with pure1 boiled linseed  oil  
under the exhausted receiver of an air  
pump1 being dried out  after each       
filling in an oven heated to #aej       
degrees ,fahrenheit1 and  subsequently  
dressed down by hand4 ,the ordinary     
enameled line is  dressed only          
superficially4 ,manifestly the          
vacuum-dressed line is  the more        
serviceable2 and the combination of     
weight1 flexibility1  smoothness1 and   
perfect action in casting found in this 
line is  difficult to surpass4 ,the     
vacuum-dressed line is necessarily      

somewhat expensive1 and the angler who  
does not care to invest too  heavily in 
what may possibly be merely an          
experimental outfit will  find the      
ordinary enameled or varnished line1 in 
the best quality1  quite satisfactory   
and fairly serviceable4    ,the length  
and caliber of the line should be       
determined by the  character of the     
fishing--always bearing in mind the fact
 that  the line must of necessity be    
suited to the rod1 a matter wherein  the
 beginner is prone to go wrong and      
concerning which he is apt  to receive  
some very bad advice from the man who   
angles chiefly  in streams of printer's 
ink4 ,from the time when the memory of  
man runneth not to the contrary the     
gossamer line of the trout              
fly-fisherman has been a favorite topic 
of the producer of the  speckled-beauty 
style of literature--the practical      
fly-fisherman  knows that there is      
nothing more absolutely futile than the 
attempt  to cast a line which in effect 

is without weight4    ,very little      
thought will convince the reader that   
only a line which  indeed has weight    
will carry well through the air when    
cast1 and  that a very small caliber    
line simply will not do4 ,i shall not   
trouble to enlarge upon the matter4     
,concisely1 for the average  fly-rod of 
nine to ten feet the line should be of  
size ,f or ,e1  the latter for the nine 
and a half or ten-foot rod4 ,for the rod
  somewhat above the average in weight1 
length or casting power  size ,d may    
perhaps be best suited4 ,unless1        
however1 the line is  thoroughly adapted
 in weight to the rod upon which it is  
used1  satisfactory casting will be     
quite impossible4    ,in the matter of  
suiting the line to the rod1 remember   
that a line  which is too light will    
fail to bring out the action of the rod 
and  cannot successfully be employed4   
,on the other hand1 if the line is  too 
heavy1 the overburdened rod cannot lift 
it quickly and neatly  from the water2  

if the angler wishes to make a somewhat 
longer cast  than usual he may smash his
 rod in the endeavor to perform the     
impossible4 ,the casting power of a rod 
is not determined purely by  its weight 
or length2 wherefore1 if the opportunity
 offers1 it is  well to fit the line to 
the rod by practical experiment4        
,that a tapered line is most efficient  
and satisfactory for dry-fly  casting is
 generally conceded4 ,by the employment 
of a line of this  character1 the line  
being gradually fined down toward the   
ends1 the  caster has all the advantage 
of a heavy line in casting1 while at    
the same time the line may be cast      
delicately and lightly4 ,also a  tapered
 line1 exactly suited to the rod upon   
which it is used1 may  be cast farther  
and more accurately than a level line4  
,the majority  of ,american fly-casters 
undoubtedly fish downstream and use the 
level line2 when dry fly-fishing1       
however1 it is imperative that  the     
angler fish or cast upstream and by all 

odds the better plan to  employ the     
tapered line4    ,for ordinary work     
select a double-tapered line1 both ends 
graduated1 of thirty yards' length4 ,the
 length of the taper varies  from       
fifteen 7occasionally less7 to eighteen 
feet4 ,as to the proper  length of      
taper1 that again1 other things being   
equal1 depends  somewhat upon the nature
 of the fishing for which the line will 
be  used4 ,if rather short casts are to 
be a rule1 a short taper will  work best
 for the reason that more of the swell  
of the line will  be in use and not     
merely wound upon the reel4 ,a short    
taper also  works best against the wind 
for the same reason4    ,it should be   
obvious1 although the fact has not been 
adequately  emphasized by angling       
writers1 that if the caster can as a    
rule  7owing to the restricted nature of
 the stream1 which may be small  and    
with banks thickly wooded7 use only the 
light tapered end  of his line on a rod 
really adapted to the size of the swell 

of  the line1 he is working at a great  
disadvantage4 ,for average  small-stream
 fly casting it is best to select a line
 having a  quick taper1 fifteen feet or 
less4    ,the leaders furnished by the  
tackle dealers especially for dry-fly   
fishing are usually of very good        
quality--the best is none too           
good--with dropper loops1 of course1 and
 from six to nine feet in  length4 ,the 
angler who elects to tie his own        
leaders1 a very simple  matter and by   
far the better plan1 should purchase the
 very best  silk-worm gut for the       
purpose--round1 hard and clear4 ,it will
 be  necessary to have gut of different 
weights or caliber from heavy to  very  
fine1 in order that the leader may be   
tapered from about the  size of the end 
of the reel line to very fine undrawn   
gut nearest  the fly4 ,drawn gut was at 
one time extensively used by dry-fly    
fishermen1 but it is now generally      
recognized that fine undrawn gut  is    
quite as efficient and the additional   

strength gained by its use  is a        
distinct advantage4    ,the tapered     
leader certainly aids materially in fine
 work over  clear1 still water and shy  
fish4 ,i believe it was ,henry ,p4      
,wells1  the author of ,fly-,rods and   
,fly ,tackle1 a work familiar to both   
,american and ,english fly fishermen1   
who stated that in his opinion  the most
 important factor for successful fly    
fishing was to make  invisible any      
connection between the fly and the line1
 and the use  of fine terminal tackle   
tends to bring this about4 ,moreover1   
fine  caliber gut near the fly assists  
in floating it4 ,better1 straighter     
casting can be done when a tapered      
leader is used4    ,the proper length of
 leader varies with the immediate       
angling  conditions4 ,under no          
circumstances1 for practical fishing1   
should  the leader exceed the rod in    
length--this entirely in the opinion  of
 the writer1 although concurred in by   
many other anglers4 ,under  rough       

weather conditions a short leader works 
best4 ,for long1 fine  casting a        
nine-foot leader should be used4 ,for   
average dry-fly  fishing on the general 
run of ,american trout streams1 ,i      
believe a  seven-foot leader to be the  
most practical and efficient4    ,as    
regards the color of leaders1 the fact  
that any advantage is  gained by the use
 of variously stained gut 7with a view  
to making  the leader invisible7 has    
never been conclusively proved--natural 
or mist-color leaders answer every      
purpose4    ,for attaching eyed-hooks to
 the leader or snell there are several  
different knots2 one of the best of     
these1 and the simplest1 is  shown in   
,fig4 #a4 ,the gut must be rendered     
perfectly pliable by  soaking in water  
before tying on the fly4 ,pass the end  
of the gut  through the eye of the hook1
 bend it back and make a slip-knot  or  
half-hitch around the gut2 draw the     
slip-knot nearly tight and  slide it up 
to and over the eye of the hook1 and    

pull tight4 ,this  forms a jam-knot     
easily upset but impossible to disengage
 by a  straight pull4 ,after making the 
knot1 cut off the superfluous end  of   
the gut4 ,for cutting off gut ends after
 changing flies at the  stream-side     
nothing is handier to carry or use than 
an ordinary  fingernail clip4           
,illustration3 ,figure #a4    ,in ,fig4 
#b is shown the method of knotting      
together two strands  of gut in tying a 
leader or making repairs in one4 ,the   
two  half-hitches should be pulled      
perfectly tight and then drawn          
together4    ,illustration3 ,figure #b4 
,for attaching the leader to the line   
use the jam-knot shown in ,fig4  #c4    
,illustration3 ,figure #c4    ,if you   
wish to attach a dropper fly to a       
dry-fly leader without  loops use the   
method shown ,in ,fig4 #d1 attaching at 
a point where  two strands are knotted  
together4    ,illustration3 ,figure #d4 
,so many intricate details are connected
 with the subject of  artificial flies1 

and with dry or floating flies          
particularly1 that  in order to reduce  
the discussion of the matter herein to a
 not  inordinate length many points must
 of necessity be merely touched  upon4  
,in later chapters1 the efficiency of   
various patterns1 as well as  how and   
when to use them1 will be discussed2 at 
this point we are  concerned chiefly    
with the purely material details of the 
floater4    ,the construction of the dry
 fly differs considerably from that of  
the wet1 but as this is a matter        
pertaining rather to the art of  the fly
 dresser the subject need not be        
considered as imperatively  within the  
province of the present discussion4 ,it 
has previously  been noted that at      
present the larger part of the dry flies
  obtainable in this country are        
imported from ,england4 ,the tendency   
of the tackle dealers is to furnish     
comparatively few of the  familiar      
,american patterns tied dry4    ,the dry
 fly is1 of course1 dressed with the    

purpose of causing  it to float as well 
as may be1 and this is                  
effected--although  the method of       
construction varies to some extent with 
various  patterns--by dressing the fly  
with double or split wings tied  at     
right angles to the body 7called erect  
wings7 and with the  hackling arranged  
to stand out well from the shank of the 
hook4 ,the  body of the fly is dressed  
very lightly and in some instances is of
  cork1 straw or quill4    ,in the case 
of some of the latest patterns horsehair
 is used for  the body material4 ,as a  
rule dry flies are dressed upon small   
hooks1 number twelve and smaller1 and   
the hooks are of light  wire4 ,a list of
 floating flies which have been found   
effective on  ,american trout streams is
 given in a later paragraph4    ,almost 
without exception floating flies are    
dressed on eyed  hooks2 that is1 without
 gut snells whipped to the shank of the 
hook1 following the time-honored        
,american custom1 but with an  eye or   

ring at the end of the shank by means of
 which the fly is  attached directly to 
the leader4 ,if space permitted the     
practical  advantages of the eyed hook  
could very well be emphasized in        
detail2 at present ,i can only urge     
every fly fisherman to adopt  the use of
 the eyed fly for either dry or wet     
fly-fishing4 ,if for  no other reason   
than that of economy1 the use of the    
eyed hook  justifies itself3 the        
feelings of the angler1 who when looking
 over  and testing his tackle for the   
approaching trout season pulls the      
snells without difficulty out of an even
 two dozen of the old-style  trout flies
 which have never even been once used1  
are best left to  the imagination4      
,eyed hooks are made in two styles1 with
 turned-up and turned-down  eye2 that   
is1 in the case of the turned-down eye  
the eye is on the  under side of the    
hook shank or bent toward the barb of   
the hook1  the opposite being true of   
the other form4 ,much controversy has   

taken place regarding the respective    
merits of the two styles of  eyed hooks1
 various authorities enthusiastically   
and convincingly  championing either one
 or the other4 ,it would seem that each 
form  has its virtues and is quite      
satisfactory4 ,undoubtedly the reader1  
impartially experimenting with both     
styles1 will soon discover  which is    
best--for him4 ,the greater part of the 
floating flies  which come to this      
country are dressed on turned-up eyed   
hooks4    ,as to the form of the hook1  
whether ,sproat1 ,pennell 7turned-down71
  ,o',shaughnessy1 ,sneck1 and so on1 it
 is a matter in which one cannot        
exercise personal choice to any great   
extent--one must needs be  contented    
with the flies as he finds them4 ,hooks 
with the ,sneck  bend are favored for   
the smaller patterns2 others may be     
dressed on  any of the above-named      
hooks4 ,unless you are willing1 many    
times1  to undergo great delay in       
stocking your fly box1 you must         

sacrifice  a personal prejudice toward  
any particular form of hook for the     
sake of obtaining the pattern you wish  
in the desired size4    ,i give below a 
list of a few floating flies which ,i   
know to be  successful under average    
angling conditions1 and would suggest   
that in making your selection of dry    
flies you obtain some1 at  least1 of the
 patterns dressed upon number ten hooks4
 ,the use of  the very small ,english   
patterns1 tied1 as a rule1 on number    
twelve  hooks at the largest1 is not at 
all times and in all places most        
advantageous on ,american trout streams4
 ,the flies named are1 as far  as may   
be1 typical2 that is1 selected with a   
view to approximately  imitating the    
general insect life 7consisting largely 
of water-bred  insects7 of any trout    
stream1 so that the angler may as a     
general  thing find in his list a fairly
 close imitation of most of the  natural
 flies1 any one of which may be         
temporarily abundant on  the water1 and 

upon which there is reason to believe   
the fish are  feeding4    ,the list is  
as follows3 ,coachman1 ,cahill1         
gold-ribbed hare's ear1  ,wickham's     
fancy1 brown sedge1 silver sedge1 iron  
blue dun1 whirling  blue dun1 and olive 
dun4 ,these should be dressed upon      
hooks1  numbers twelve and ten4 ,it is  
seldom necessary to use smaller than  a 
number twelve dry-fly1 although1 of     
course1 occasionally only  the very     
smallest flies are effective4 ,to the   
flies named should  be added the green  
,may female1 brown ,may female1 and     
spent gnat  female1 of the new series of
 floating flies developed by ,mr4 ,f4   
,m4  ,halford4    ,of the above the     
coachman1 ,wickham's fancy1 gold-ribbed 
hare's ear  and ,cahill are frankly     
fancy flies1 not intended to represent  
any particular natural fly4 ,the        
,wickham's fancy1 coachman and          
gold-ribbed hare's ear are wonderfully  
successful patterns1 as a  rule1        
throughout the entire season1 and under 

a great variety of  angling conditions4 
,the ,cahill is a fly of very delicate  
coloration  and dressing and is         
particularly useful over very low and   
clear  water4 ,the duns1 olive1 whirling
 blue and iron blue are dressed in      
imitation of various ephemera in the    
sub-imago or dun stage1 and  when the   
fish are feeding upon the natural fly   
these are apt to  prove exceedingly     
successful4    ,the green and brown ,may
 fly patterns are representative of the 
corresponding ,ephemerid1 and their     
usefulness upon streams when  and where 
the ,may fly is abundant is sufficiently
 obvious4 ,the  ,caddis flies in the    
nomenclature of the dry fly are known as
  sedges2 the silver sedge and brown    
sedge belong to this class4  ,the spent 
gnat pattern represents the female ,may 
fly which1  having voided her eggs upon 
the water1 thereafter falls upon the    
surface of the stream practically       
lifeless and with wings flat  and       
outstretched4 ,the spent gnat1          

accordingly1 is dressed with            
horizontal1 not erect1 wings4    ,for   
carrying eyed-flies various fly-boxes   
are furnished by the  tackle dealers4   
,the method of holding the flies is     
usually by  means of a metal clip1      
although some boxes have several small  
compartments with transparent           
7celluloid7 covers1 and others have     
cork strips into which the fly may be   
fastened4 ,the last sort is  the least  
satisfactory4 ,as a rule1 in the        
ordinary form of eyed  fly box the metal
 clips are set very closely together1   
and it is  advisable to procure a box   
capable of holding at least double the  
number of flies you intend to carry1 so 
that they may be inserted  without      
crushing and be easily distinguished and
 removed4    ,paraffin oil1 or some one 
of the other similar waterproofing      
liquids furnished by the tackle dealers1
 is a necessity to the  dry-fly caster4 
,a floating fly1 if perfectly dry1 will 
float fairly  well for a number of casts

 without the use of paraffin2 but it    
soon  becomes drowned and sodden and    
very difficult to dry out by merely     
false casting4 ,whatever preparation may
 be used 7and ,i have found  very little
 practical difference in them7 it should
 be carried in a  small bottle having a 
stopper with brush attached4 ,apply the 
oil to  the fly lightly1 and remove the 
superfluous liquid by pressing the  fly 
between folds in your handkerchief4 ,it 
is usually practicable  to prepare a    
number of flies in this way before going
 to the  stream1 thus obviating the the 
necessity of carrying the oiler4    ,it 
would seem unnecessary to consider the  
matter of the creel1  waders and other  
general fly-fishing equipment1 as these 
are  familiar to every fly-fisherman of 
any experience4 ,however1 for  the      
benefit of the virtual beginner it may  
be said that a rather  larger basket    
than that usually advised to the        
trout-fisherman say  a creel of         
twenty-pound size--is preferable for    

many reasons4 ,the  new style sling1    
which suspends the basket from the left 
shoulder1  should be used4    ,waders1  
of course1 are necessary4 ,whether      
wading pants1 wading  stockings1 or     
ordinary sporting rubber boots are worn 
is more or  less a personal matter      
generally dependent upon the conditions 
under which the fishing will be done4   
,the wading stockings1 worn  with woolen
 socks and hobnailed wading shoes1 are  
as a rule the  most satisfactory        
equipment4 ,a leader-box in which extra 
leaders  may be carried between pads of 
dampened felt and a landing net are     
other requisites4          ,,chapter    
,,iv    ,,how ,,to ,,cast ,,the         
,,floating ,,fly      ,the sportsman who
 has fished only with the wet fly may   
rest  assured that should he take up dry
 fly fishing he will discover  a renewed
 interest in the sport of fly fishing   
for trout1 which1  perhaps1 through     
custom1 may have lost something of its  
former  charm4 ,moreover1 in dry fly    

fishing he will find a sport of such    
wide scope that1 it is safe to say1 he  
will never consider himself  other than 
a beginner in the art4 ,for the         
scientifically inclined  sportsman--the 
man who chronically seeks to know the   
reason  why--it is difficult to name any
 outdoor recreation which would  prove  
more to his liking or more worthy of    
serious research and  study in its      
various branches1 particularly that     
dealing with the  entomology of the     
trout stream4    ,in photographic work  
most people are perfectly willing to    
follow  the directions1 trusting that   
the results will be good enough1 and    
caring little for intimate knowledge of 
the scientific details  of the various  
processes which produce the completed   
photograph4  ,this1 certainly1 is not at
 all the state of mind with which to    
take up dry fly fishing1 or1 for that   
matter1 angling of any sort4  ,in fact1 
the dry fly man should be a student of  
causes as well as  of effects1 for the  

simple reason that only in comparatively
 rare  instances can the desired effect 
be produced unless the angler  knows the
 underlying cause and proceeds to       
utilize it practically4  ,this is       
particularly true of the selection and  
manipulation of the  floating fly and1  
in a lesser but quite considerable      
degree1 of  casting the fly4    ,almost 
every book on angling contains a more or
 less understandable  treatise on       
fly-casting1 and it is only for the     
benefit of the  virtual beginner at     
fly-fishing for trout1 and further with 
a  view to completeness and the         
emphasizing of certain points which     
even the old hand is prone to forget or 
possibly neglect through  carelessness  
that the following brief explanation is 
incorporated  here4 ,casting the        
floating fly differs little essentially 
from  the manner of casting the sunken  
fly2 in detail1 however1 the  difference
 is very great4    ,casting the floating
 fly divides naturally into two quite   

distinct phases2 first1 the actual cast 
which places the fly1  cocked and       
floating1 upon the surface of the       
stream2 second1 the  subsequent         
manipulation of the fly in such a manner
 that its action  approximates with all 
possible fidelity the action of the     
natural  fly--the fly must float in the 
exact manner of the natural fly  under  
like circumstances4 ,granting judicious 
selection of the fly  in the first      
instance and some skill and finesse in  
placing it1 it  is with the correct     
action of the fly--after all the most   
important  thing in the whole art of dry
 fly fishing--that the sportsman has    
chiefly to deal1 and the dealing is not 
always of the easiest4    ,it should go 
without saying that properly and        
effectively to  cast and fish the       
floating fly it is essential that the   
tackle  be correctly assembled4 ,in this
 regard ,i believe the point most  in   
need of emphasis is the question of the 
right way to fit the  reel to the rod2  

that this should be done so that the    
reel is  underneath the rod with its    
handle to the right 7in the case of the 
right-handed caster7 is in my experience
 the only satisfactory and  thoroughly  
efficient way4 ,with the reel thus      
placed it is never  necessary1 when     
playing a fish1 to turn the rod over so 
that the  reel is above1 as in the case 
when the reel is fitted to the rod  with
 the handle to the left4 ,after a fish  
is struck1 if it becomes  necessary to  
use the reel1 the rod is simply shifted 
to the left  hand--without the awkward  
necessity of turning it over to bring   
the  reel on top--and the fingers of the
 right hand fall naturally upon  the    
handle of the reel4    ,of the ,english 
books on the subject of dry fly fishing 
,i have seen  only those of ,mr4        
,halford4 ,in ,dry ,fly ,fishing1 by    
this author1  the cut illustrating the  
proper grip of the rod shows the reel   
rigged underneath the rod with its      
handle to the left1 and this is  the    

method advised by the author4 ,it may be
 said with certainty  that this manner  
of assembling rod and reel is not       
sanctioned by  the majority of ,american
 fly-fishermen4    ,the manner of       
casting a fly is best described by an   
explanation  of the overhead cast--the  
typical cast although by no means the   
one exclusively used in fly fishing1 and
 in dry fly fishing1 for  reasons stated
 below1 a cast which is used only when  
the horizontal  cast is for any reason  
rendered difficult4 ,having assembled   
rod1  reel1 line1 leader1 and fly1 using
 the knots shown in ,chapter ,,iii41    
and taking pains to see that the leader 
before bending on the fly  and attaching
 to the line has been previously        
well-softened by  soaking in the        
leader-box1 proceed to make the overhead
 cast as  follows4    ,in the case of   
the beginner at fly-casting1 the first  
practice  casting may best be done      
casting downstream as the current will  
help to straighten out the line and     

leader4 ,two distinct motions           
constitute the complete overhead cast2  
first the back cast which  throws the   
line behind the caster1 then the forward
 cast which  returns it in the desired  
direction4 ,fifteen or twenty feet is   
enough line to use for the first        
practice casting4 ,the right hand       
should grip the rod firmly with the     
thumb extended along the upper  surface 
of the handgrasp--this is the only      
proper grip of the rod  and is a        
distinct factor for accuracy in placing 
the fly and also  tends to make the     
caster use his wrist4    ,good casting  
results only from utilizing the         
elasticity of the  rod2 the casting     
power of the rod is brought into play in
 one way  only--by using the wrist in   
casting4 ,keep the elbow low4    ,in the
 back cast swing the rod smartly up to a
 position but  slightly beyond the      
vertical and inclined a little toward   
the right  so that the line when passing
 to the rear1 or returning1 will not    

tend to strike the rod4 ,in the back    
cast throw the line up in order  that   
there may be no possibility of its      
falling upon the water  behind you--a   
high back cast is very essential4 ,lift 
the line from  the water quickly and    
neatly4 ,care must be taken not to carry
 the  rod too far back--only a little   
beyond the perpendicular--as this  will 
inevitably result in loss of control    
over the line4    ,instantaneous        
photography has conclusively proved the 
fallacy of  the orthodox advice of the  
older school of angling writers1 to     
wait for the line to straighten out     
behind you before starting  the forward 
cast4 ,this fact was noted sometime ago 
in a short paper  in one of the outdoor 
periodicals and the writer at once      
proceeded  to verify it--since which    
time ,i have often seen in print the    
old1  familiar warning to the novice    
stated above4 ,however1 it is now       
generally recognized by well-informed   
anglers that when casting any  fair     

length of line there is a considerable  
loop of line and leader  which          
straightens out only after the forward  
cast has been started2  that1 in fact1  
the right time to begin the forward     
motion of the  rod is when the line     
first begins to pull noticeably on the  
tip of  the rod--a psychological moment 
soon readily recognized after a  little 
practice4 ,to avoid weakening the leader
 by whipping1 or in  rare instances     
snapping off the fly1 the forward cast  
should not be  started too forcefully4  
,start the forward motion of the rod1   
then1 when the line1 having  passed to  
the rear1 begins to pull back on the    
rod-tip1 and carry  the rod forward and 
down with increasing speed1 stopping it 
when  it is a little beyond parallel    
with the water4 ,before beginning       
another back cast be careful to reel or 
strip in any slack  line4 ,the beginner 
should concentrate on casting accurately
 and  delicately2 ability to cover      
average fishing distances is soon       

gained without much conscious effort to 
that end4 ,as for accuracy1  the dry fly
 man cannot possibly over-rate its      
importance or more  profitably seek to  
perfect himself in any other branch of  
the  sport4 ,particularly when casting  
to a rising fish1 other things  being   
equal1 everything depends upon accuracy4
    ,at this point it seems best to note
 the matter of the use of  the left hand
 in fly-casting for the purpose of      
controlling the  rendition and retrieve 
of the line while casting1 playing a    
trout1  or floating a dry fly4 ,in      
brief1 the caster should control the    
line1 practically at all times1 by      
holding it in his left hand1 as  it     
comes from the reel1 stripping in the   
line through the guides  of the rod when
 it should be shortened1 or allowing it 
to run out  through the fingers when a  
longer line is needed in casting or when
  giving line to a hooked fish4    ,it  
should be understood that the left hand1
 when used in this  manner1 need not be 

held in an awkward position1 that is1   
close  up to the reel1 but may be held  
in a natural way at about the           
waist-line2 it is simply a matter of the
 length of the loop of line  drawn out  
by the left hand between the reel and   
the first guide of  the rod4 ,when this 
loop for any reason becomes so long that
 there  may be a possibility of fouling 
it may be taken care of by shifting  the
 rod to the left hand1 clipping the line
 to the handgrasp of  the rod beneath   
the fingers of the left hand1 and       
winding up the  superfluous slack line4 
,the beginner should accustom himself to
 handling the line in this  way when    
first learning the use of the fly-rod2  
later it will be  all the more difficult
 to master since at the same time he    
will be  under the necessity of         
correcting other casting habits which   
may  have become almost second nature4  
,further reference to this manner  of   
manipulating the line--a most important 
factor in effective  fly casting and    

fishing--will be found in connection    
with various  subjects such as playing  
and landing a trout1 methods of         
preventing  drag1 and so on2 in fact1 in
 one way or another the method is       
essentially a part of practically every 
phase of the purely manual  side of dry 
or wet fly fishing4    ,it has been     
noted above that the overhead cast1     
although the  typical cast and the one1 
by the way1 with which the greatest     
accuracy and distance may be attained1  
is less used in dry fly  fishing than   
the horizontal2 in the latter the rod1  
in the back  and forward casts1 moves in
 a plane about parallel with the water4 
,the reason for this preference is a    
very real and practical one  although   
difficult to explain in detail2 the fact
 of the matter  is1 however1 that the   
horizontal cast is far more apt to cock 
the  fly--to place it upon the surface  
of the stream with its wings  upright   
and not floating on its side--than is   
the overhead4    ,the reader should     

carefully note the above point and1     
wherever it  may be possible1 always    
employ the horizontal cast4 ,it would   
not  do to say that every trout would   
refuse to rise to the fly when  floating
 down on its side--although ,i have seen
 a statement made  to that effect2 but  
with shy fish the probability of a rise 
to the  correctly cocked and floating   
fly is greater than to the fly coming   
down upset4 ,apart from the known       
advantage of the horizontal cast        
cocking the fly is a matter quite beyond
 the caster's control4    ,where there  
is smoothly flowing water with little   
chance of drag1  and little if any wind1
 if the fly is cast with some skill it  
will  float properly with wings upright 
more often than not4 ,if the  horizontal
 cast cannot be used1 owing to the      
conformation of the  banks or other     
reasons1 the caster in employing the    
overhead cast  should direct his fly at 
an imaginary point in the air some two  
or  three feet directly above the spot  

where he intends to place the  fly2 the 
greater delicacy in delivering the fly  
resulting from this  will tend to       
multiply the chances of cocking the fly4
    ,as ,i have said1 the horizontal    
cast is made by swinging the rod1 in    
the back and forward casts1 in a plane  
parallel with1 or slightly  above1 the  
water4 ,the back of the caster's hand   
should be turned  toward the water1 the 
fingers uppermost4 ,the attempt to cast 
too  long a line1 or the slightest delay
 in starting the forward cast1  will    
cause the fly to fall upon the water    
behind you--a thing to be  religiously  
avoided4    ,the above includes the     
essential details of the first phase of 
casting the dry fly--the actual cast    
which places the fly1 cocked  and       
floating1 upon the water over a trout   
which has been seen to  rise or where   
the angler may have reason to believe a 
fish is  lying1 the latter being more   
frequently the case upon ,american      
streams4 ,we come now to the second     

phase of dry fly casting1 the           
subsequent manipulation of the fly in   
such a manner that it  simulates as     
accurately as possible the action of the
 natural fly  floating in a like        
position4 ,the importance of simulating 
with all  possible fidelity the action  
of the natural insect has previously    
been emphasized2 the subject is one of  
very broad application1 but  at present 
we may note merely the necessity of     
upstream casting4    ,i believe that    
printed briefs for or against up or down
 stream  fishing with the fly are       
wearisome to the average well-read and  
experienced angler2 wherefore brevity in
 discussing this point  seems advisable4
 ,as regards wet fly fishing any        
broad-minded angler  willingly concedes 
that under certain conditions it is best
 to fish  the stream up and under other 
conditions to fish down4 ,the dry fly   
man1 however1 has no option in the      
matter2 regardless of all other  factors
 for upstream fishing1 the practical    

fact remains that the  floating fly     
cannot be fished downstream for when    
thus cast it is  drowned almost at once4
    ,but even if this were not the case 
the application of the rule  of exact   
imitation of nature upon which dry fly  
fishing is based  would prove the method
 of casting downstream and pulling the  
fly  up against the trend of the current
 wholly wrong4 ,even the wet  fly should
 never be fished in this way4           
,parenthetically1 the  present writer   
has always recognized a distinction     
between fishing  downstream and casting 
downstream2 the progress of the angler  
may  be with the direction of the       
current--always most advantageous  upon 
the swift and rocky mountain trout      
stream--while the actual  casting may be
 cross-current1 a very effective way of 
fishing the  wet fly under normal       
conditions1 or upstream and slightly    
across if  desirable4 ,when upon the    
water the natural insect floats         
downstream  as the current directs it2  

wherefore1 as invariably as may be1 the 
dry fly caster should cast upstream1    
allowing the fly to float down  toward  
him without restraint from the line1    
following the natural  trend of the     
current4    ,leaving aside for later    
discussion the matter of drag1 a state  
of affairs wherein the artificial fly   
tends to travel at an  unnatural rate   
due to conflicting currents in the      
stream which  affect line and fly       
differently1 and also passing over for  
the  moment certain other points more or
 less intimately connected with  the    
advisability of upstream casting1 there 
remains for present  consideration the  
matter of false casting1 or drying the  
fly4    ,as a rule1 when casting a fair 
amount of line1 the fly will be  quite  
free from moisture--if previously       
well-waterproofed--when  the angler has 
again lengthened out his line after     
having made a  cast and allowed the fly 
to float down over the water he desired 
to cover4 ,unless the fly has become    

thoroughly soaked four or five  false   
casts are enough4 ,these should be made 
as gently as possible  to avoid whipping
 the fly2 the constant casting tends to 
shred  the wings1 and if this results   
the fly loses much of its natural       
appearance and is more difficult to     
cock4    ,the longer the line used when 
drying the fly the longer distance  the 
fly travels through the air2 thus a     
lesser number of false  casts are       
necessary to dry it4 ,but it is better  
to take more time1  use a shorter line  
and more casts1 and endeavor not to whip
 the  fly out of shape4 ,after playing  
and landing a fish the fly will  be     
thoroughly soaked and draggled4         
,ordinarily it is then best to  put up a
 new fly2 if this seems unnecessary1    
much of the water can  be removed by    
holding the fly close to the mouth and  
blowing off  the moisture1 after which  
the wings should be nursed into their   
original form4          ,,chapter ,v    
,,where ,,and ,,when ,,to ,,use ,,the   

,,floating ,,fly      ,before going     
further into the details of casting and 
fishing the  dry fly it would be well to
 consider at some length the question   
of the best times and the most favorable
 places when and where the  angler would
 be wise to depend solely upon the      
floater4 ,that the  fascination of dry  
fly fishing is such that many           
fly-fishermen  elect to practice no     
other method under any and all          
conditions  goes without saying1 but the
 fact remains that under average        
,american fly-fishing conditions the    
floating fly is sometimes at  a         
disadvantage and the average ,american  
angler may well accept  this fact with  
good grace1 using the dry or sunken fly 
turn and  turn about as the occasion    
determines4 ,in this ,i do not wish to  
be understood as holding any brief for  
the wet as against the dry  fly for any 
such reason as that bigger bags may at  
times be  killed with the wet fly than  
with the dry--it is merely a question   

of a few good fish taken by fair methods
 under the prevailing  conditions4 ,if  
these may be taken by dry fly casting1  
so much the  better2 if not1 then       
assuredly the average angler1 whose     
fishing  trips are few and to whom a    
moderate success on the stream seems    
very desirable1 may have recourse to the
 wet fly without losing  caste4 ,that1  
at times1 nothing can be done fishing   
dry is a fact  easily susceptible of    
proof4    ,personally ,i have never so  
fully enjoyed fly-fishing as ,i have    
since taking up the dry fly1 which ,i   
have now come to use almost  exclusively
 and often when ,i know perfectly well  
that more success  would attend the use 
of the sunken fly4 ,this1 however1 ,i   
take to  be a strictly personal matter2 
my fishing opportunities are many1  and 
although ,i am on the stream a great    
deal 7during the last ten  years at the 
very least four days a week throughout  
the season7 it  is only infrequently    
that ,i go out with any great desire to 

catch  fish4 ,to the general run of     
trout-fishermen1 for the reasons  stated
 above1 ,i would not advise the         
exclusive use of the dry fly2  if1 on   
the other hand1 the angler elects to    
practice this method to  the exclusion  
of all others1 that is his affair--and a
 matter for  congratulation4    ,it     
would seem that the ideal conditions for
 the dry fly are  somewhat as follows3  
,a clear1 smoothly flowing stream1      
whether fast  or slow being immaterial  
if the surface is not too broken2 the   
stage of water should be normal1        
although at the lower levels1 as  the   
season advances1 everything is in favor 
of the dry as against  the wet fly2     
finally1 insect life should be fairly   
abundant on the  stream and the trout   
feeding more or less at the surface on  
the  natural fly4    ,in the early days 
of the season1 when the stream is apt to
 be  in flood and the water very cold   
and more or less discolored1  the wet or
 sunken fly is plainly indicated4       

,until1 with the  progress of spring1   
air and water have grown warm1 and the  
bright  sunshine brings on the natural  
ephemeridae1 the fish are usually       
ground-feeding1 or feeding in mid-water1
 and will rise only  infrequently to the
 fly fished upon the surface4 ,at such  
times the  fly caster who holds to the  
employment of the dry fly is doomed to  
disappointment4    ,in fact1 it would   
seem that fly-fishing under these       
conditions  should be done more along   
the lines of bass or salmon fly-fishing 
--not with the idea of simulating even  
approximately the natural  insect food  
of the fish but rather with the purpose 
of exciting  the trout and inducing them
 to strike by the use of a glittering or
  highly colored fly which1 fished      
considerably beneath the surface1       
arouses their curiosity or anger or may 
be taken for a small  minnow4 ,this     
style of fishing with the fly is        
distinctly on a lower  level than the   
correct imitation of the natural        

floating insect  by means of the dry    
fly2 nevertheless1 in fairness to the   
many  fishermen whose days on the stream
 are rare and eagerly anticipated  with 
attendant hopes of some practical       
success1 ,i cannot but advise  the use  
of the sunken fly under the conditions  
named or when1 at  any time during the  
season1 somewhat similar conditions     
prevail4    ,in an average season the   
dry fly man may confidently expect      
success on suitable water from about the
 first of ,may to the last  days of the 
open time4 ,the trout streams are now   
clear and at or  below the normal stage 
of water2 the temperature of the water  
is  rising steadily2 the observant      
fly-fisherman will note the natural     
ephemeridae abundant at intervals over  
and on the stream--and there  is no     
sight in nature 7at least from the      
writer's viewpoint and1 ,i  fancy1 from 
that of all other trout fly-fishermen7  
more interesting  or more wonderful than
 a good hatch of duns4 ,with the advance

 of  the season and the usual gradual   
falling of the water1 conditions  ever  
grow more and more in favor of the dry  
and against the wet fly4    ,i could    
easily cite numerous instances which    
have occurred in both  my own experience
 and in that of other anglers which go  
to prove  the effectiveness of the      
floating fly on low1 clear water1 late  
in the season1 when the wet fly is      
usually ineffectual4 ,without1  however1
 going into narrative detail1 it should 
be sufficiently  obvious that1 under the
 conditions named1 a very delicately    
dressed floating fly1 in appearance     
quite similar to the natural            
ephemeridae common to the stream1       
attached to a practically  invisible    
leader and riding down buoyantly on the 
surface1 with  wings erect1 in the      
exact1 jaunty manner of the natural dun1
 is far  more apt to deceive the fish   
than two or more wet flies1 shapeless   
and draggled1 of dubious coloration1    
pulled across or against the  current in

 a manner never followed by the natural 
insect4 ,wherever  a fly may be floated 
the dry fly is distinctly the thing for 
late  spring and summer fishing4        
,much has been said and written         
concerning the character of the  streams
 favorable for the employment of the dry
 fly--that is1 as  regards the natural  
characteristics of the water itself1    
whether  fast or slow in current1 smooth
 or broken1 shallow or deep1 and so  on4
 ,the dry fly having originated upon the
 placid currents of the  south of       
,england rivers1 it is only natural that
 the impression  should prevail that a  
floating fly can be used effectively    
only on  a slow stream4 ,the practice   
and experience of ,american fly-casters 
has thoroughly proved this an erroneous 
theory4 ,it may be  truthfully said that
 the dry fly may be successfully used   
upon all  except white water4    ,it is 
not the rate of the current which       
determines the suitability  of the      
floating fly to any given stream2       

wherever the surface of  the water is   
unbroken the dry fly works well1 but    
where white water  prevails1 although   
the angler may persist in the use of the
 dry  fly1 actual dry fly fishing is    
impossible1 the fly can only be made  to
 float for an infinitesimal length of   
time1 is almost immediately  drowned by 
a wave or drawn under by a whirlpool1   
and the result is  a hybrid sort of     
angling in the nature of wet fly fishing
 with a  dry fly4    ,the point has been
 made that even under these conditions  
it is best  to use the dry fly on the   
ground that1 dry or wet1 the floating   
fly  is materially1 in form and         
coloration1 a better imitation of the   
natural fly than is the average wet fly4
 ,under like circumstances  the natural 
insect acts in a similar manner1 that   
is1 is drawn  under the surface in      
broken water and carried here and there 
by  conflicting currents4 ,for some time
 it has been my custom to use  dry flies
 for wet fly fishing1 but ,i would      

emphasize the fact that  fishing a      
drowned dry fly in white water is hardly
 genuine dry fly  fishing and that any  
resultant success must be accredited to 
the  wet fly method4 ,any statement to  
the effect that the dry fly may  be used
 in the rapids of any trout stream where
 white water is the  rule must be taken 
with a grain of salt and with due       
allowance for  the enthusiasm of the man
 who makes it4    ,in any stream the    
swift runs where the water is smooth may
 be  very effectively fished with the   
dry fly2 taking an average of  ,american
 trout streams1 excepting the smaller   
rocky1 mountain  brooks 7generally a    
succession of shallow1 rough rapids with
  comparatively few smooth places7 it   
may be said that a fly may be  quite    
successfully floated over probably      
three-quarters of the  water comprised4 
,by smooth water ,i do not wish to be   
understood  as meaning absolutely flat  
water--the floating fly will ride a     
wave or a succession of them with       

surprising buoyancy2 but if the  crests 
of the waves are broken into miniature  
white-caps then  the fly is soon        
drowned4 ,the wet fly1 or wet fly       
methods1 should  be followed wherever   
the water is of the latter description4 
,the  writer's own custom when fishing a
 stream wherein smooth and white  water 
alternate constantly is to use a single 
dry fly1 a coachman  or ,wickham's      
fancy1 casting dry or wet as the nature 
of the stream  may seem to render       
expedient4    ,in line with a general   
discussion of the times and localities  
when and where the dry fly is indicated 
it should possibly be  noted that dry   
fly casting1 as the more clever method  
and designed  particularly for the      
purpose of angling for educated trout1  
should  be favored over wet fly fishing 
on any stream which is whipped a  great 
deal by wet fly fishermen4 ,that the    
trout of such a stream  grow gut shy and
 exceedingly canny and1 at best1 when   
the  stream is clear and natural insect 

food somewhat abundant1 rise            
reluctantly to the wet fly1 is          
axiomatic4 ,in view of the fine  tackle1
 the finesse1 and the fidelity to nature
 afforded by the dry  fly method it     
would seem that no angler could for a   
moment doubt  the efficacy of the       
floating fly under such circumstances4  
,on the  other hand1 ,i                 
believe--although practical             
experimentation has never  yet been     
possible--that a skilfully fished wet   
fly1 on a stream  where dry fly fishing 
has become the rule1 might1 on occasion1
 by  the very novelty of the thing1 be  
made to do wonders4    ,finally1 as     
regards the general question of when and
 where to use  the dry fly1 let me      
emphasize the fact that1 for success1   
the  sportsman must have confidence in  
the floater and use it constantly       
wherever he may consistently do so--that
 he must not consider his  box of dry   
flies as merely supplementary to his    
familiar1 old-time  book of wet flies1  

but must give preference to the dry fly 
method1  consider himself1 in fact1 a   
dry fly fisherman1 and have recourse  to
 the wet fly only when his common       
fishing sense advertises the  fact that 
the floater is not the thing for the    
time being4    ,sporadic experimentation
 with the dry fly when the wet has      
failed1  although frequently successful 
in its purpose1 is not a true test  of  
the efficacy of the method when followed
 consistently1 for the  degree of true  
sport which the dry fly is capable of   
affording4 ,of  all forms of angling1   
the phrase it is not all of fishing to  
catch  fish is most true of fishing with
 the floating fly4    ,coming now to the
 question of when and where to fish the 
floating  fly on water evidently        
suitable therefor1 in view of the fact  
that the ,american dry fly caster of    
necessity usually fishes the  water     
rather than the rise1 it is evident that
 the fly-fisherman  must depend upon his
 knowledge of trout haunts and habits in

 the  determination of this matter4     
,given a stream fairly abundantly       
stocked with trout1 either fontinalis1  
the native speckled brook  trout1 fario1
 the brown trout1 or with rainbows1     
where the most1  the best1 or any trout 
will be found1 is to a considerable     
extent a  matter of time and            
temperature--notwithstanding which the  
careful  angler1 and in particular the  
dry fly fisherman1 will proceed to  fish
 all the water except such as may be    
known to be barren of  trout4    ,in    
general1 trout will be found at the head
 and foot of riffles and  rapids2 at the
 head and tail of pools2 in the lee of  
rocks in swift  runs2 under shady1      
shelving banks and boulders and similar 
hides2  particularly in warm weather1   
where small1 cold1 spring-fed brooks    
enter the trout stream2 and anywhere    
where the set of the current1  as in    
little bays and on the bends1 is such as
 to collect insect  food in quantity4   
,really the angler need only remember   

that trout  require cold1 moving1 and   
arated water1 especially brook trout1   
and the same thing is true of brown     
trout in somewhat lesser degree4    ,to 
enlarge upon the matter further would be
 impracticable here4  ,in point of fact1
 stream experience alone will enable the
 angler  to spot confidently and with   
precision the places where a good  trout
 may be lying4 ,each trout taken by an  
observant fly-fisherman  adds to the    
angler's sum of knowledge regarding     
where the trout  hide2 it would seem    
that a mental picture of the place is   
retained  subconsciously--the trend of  
the current1 the character of the  banks
 and stream-bed1 and where1 in relation 
to some prominent  object1 such as a    
large boulder or possibly a sunken log1 
the trout  rose2 all these and other    
details are noted and mentally recorded1
  and eventually the angler1 by the     
correlation and association of  these   
mental pictures1 comes to recognize     
instantly1 almost to a  matter of       

inches1 the places where a rise may be  
expected4 ,that an  experienced         
fly-fisherman can tell almost to a      
matter of inches  where a trout will    
rise may seem1 to the casual reader1 to 
be  putting it rather strongly4         
,however1 inquiry of some sportsman of  
many seasons' experience with the       
fly-rod will definitely settle  the     
matter one way or another4    ,while1   
indeed1 the character of ,american trout
 streams is such  as to definitely      
discourage fishing the rise purely1 it  
cannot be  too strongly emphasized that 
the dry fly-angler1 while fishing the   
water1 should constantly be on the      
lookout for a rising trout4  ,time and  
time again1 while fishing a good pool or
 run where the  rise of a trout could be
 noted1 the writer has spotted rising   
fish to his very practical advantage4   
,in this regard it might be  well to    
note the fact that a rising and feeding 
trout creates  very little disturbance  
on the surface of the stream1 and does  

not1 in accordance with the popular     
idea1 leap above the surface2  sometimes
 there is a slight plop1 and at times a 
little spray  thrown1 but the fish very 
seldom shows itself1 and twenty trout   
could rise within the vision of an      
inexperienced and inattentive  angler   
without attracting his attention4 ,upon 
glassy1 still pools  the subsequent     
widening circle of ripples tells the    
plain story of  a rise2 in a current1   
however1 the actual rise must be        
seen--and  often is if you are looking  
for it4          ,,chapter ,,vi    ,,how
 ,,to ,,fish ,,the ,,floating ,,fly     
,presuming that the angler has outfitted
 correctly and that he is  a fly-caster 
of average ability1 and further assuming
 that the  stream he is on is at least  
fair dry fly water--which he will  fish 
upstream manipulating the fly with      
whatever skill he may  command with the 
purpose of imitating the action and     
appearance  of the natural fly floating 
down on the surface--success1 then1  is 

predicated wholly 7apart from the       
question of the right fly at  the right 
time7 upon the manner in which the fly  
is fished4 ,under  this head--how to    
fish the floating fly--there are many   
points for  consideration1 of which not 
the least in importance is the matter   
of drag4    ,drag occurs when the       
artificial fly travels at a rate        
different  from that of the natural fly 
in the same position--either faster  or 
slower or with a tendency to move across
 or contrary to  the current4 ,it is    
caused by conflicting currents which    
exert  dissimilar forces upon fly and   
line4 ,the natural dun coming down      
without restraint1 of course1 from line 
or leader1 is affected only  by the     
current whereon it floats2 the          
artificial fly1 attached  to line and   
leader1 several feet of which must often
 lie upon  the surface1 is subject not  
only to the rate and direction of  the  
current upon which it floats1 but       
also--unless the angler so  handles his 

tackle as to prevent it--to the force   
and direction of  the currents which    
play upon the line and leader4    ,thus1
 when the fly is so cast that it falls  
upon still or slow  water while the line
 is allowed to rest upon swift water1   
the  artificial fly will at once drag   
rapidly across or over the still  place 
in an utterly unnatural manner4 ,the    
natural fly would rest  quietly upon    
such a place1 or1 if there were a slight
 current1  float slowly downstream4     
,the foregoing is an extreme case1 cited
 merely with the purpose  of making     
clear exactly what is meant by the      
expression drag4  ,ordinarily when drag 
occurs the conditions are rather more   
subtle  and complicated than in the     
foregoing example4 ,conversely to the   
above1 when the fly falls upon swift    
water and the line upon slow1  the      
natural downstream course of the fly is 
retarded4 ,again it  often happens that 
unless the sportsman notes clearly the  
trend  of the currents whereon fly and  

line will rest1 he may cast a  taut line
 over a place where the currents are    
actually moving in  contrary directions1
 the fly may rest upon a set-back 7a    
current  moving upstream7 while the line
 is carried downstream with the  general
 trend of the stream1 in which case1 if 
the natural current  is the stronger and
 a taut line is thrown1 the fly will    
drag  upstream in relation to the       
current whereon it floats1 and across   
and generally quite contrary to the     
action of the natural insect in  the    
same position4    ,in the matter of     
preventing drag ,i think that the one   
rule above  all others for the sportsman
 to observe is this3 ,before making  a  
cast--by all means before casting over a
 rising fish--study  carefully the trend
 of the currents which may affect your  
line and  fly4 ,in other words1 the best
 way to alleviate drag lies in the      
ounce of prevention which may be applied
 before the cast is made4  ,it is       
generally possible to cast over any     

given place or over a  rising trout from
 a number of different points2 one of   
these will  be found to offer the least 
chance of drag4    ,the necessity of    
obviating drag1 so far as possible1     
arises from  the fact that a shy trout1 
feeding on the natural ephemeridae1 is  
not apt to rise to the                  
imitation--however good--which comes    
over  it in an unusual way4 ,a feeding  
trout1 possibly rising from a fixed     
vantage point wherefrom it can easily   
see and capture the duns  floating down 
on the surface within striking distance1
 will1 as a  rule1 rise only to the     
artificial fly which floats in an       
exactly  similar manner to that of the  
natural flies which come within its     
vision4    ,the novice should also bear 
this in mind and religiously observe    
it3 ,avoid any upward or backward motion
 of the rod at the instant  when the fly
 falls upon the water or immediately    
thereafter4 ,in  line with this it may  
also be said that no matter how fast the

  current may be1 the angler should     
never begin to strip in the  line until 
the fly is well started on its          
downstream journey4 ,the  seasoned wet  
fly-fisherman1 upon his initial attempts
 at casting  the dry fly1 will doubtless
 find that he has an habitual tendency  
to raise the point of the rod at the    
moment when the forward cast  has been  
completed and the fly has just fallen   
upon the surface of  the stream2 if this
 is done1 the fly is at once pulled     
under the  surface--drowned--and the    
habit is one which must be constantly   
resisted4    ,the same may be said of   
the tendency to begin stripping in the  
line  prematurely while it is still     
taut2 the slightest pull upon the  line 
at this time is at once communicated to 
the fly and either  drags or drowns it4 
,the proper and strictly necessary      
procedure1  then1 for the dry fly-caster
 is this3 ,at the completion of the     
forward cast hold the rod absolutely    
motionless for a moment until  the fly1 

floating down1 has created more or less 
slack line1 in  accordance with the     
character of the water over which the   
cast has  been made2 then slowly bring  
up the tip of the rod or carefully      
strip in the line1 or both1 bearing in  
mind that to float the fly  successfully
 there must always be more or less slack
 line between  rod-point and fly4    ,as
 above noted1 the best way to prevent   
drag is to first study the  nature of   
the water over which the cast is to be  
made1 eventually  casting from the stand
 which seems most favorable for the     
cast's  coming off well4 ,if1 however1  
it is absolutely necessary to cast  so  
that the fly will fall upon a slower    
current than will the line  or upon a   
swifter run than will affect the line1  
the only remedy  is to cast a slack     
line--the fly will then float for a     
greater or  less distance without       
restraint4 ,if the fly is cast upon a   
still  or slow place while the line     
rests upon swift water1 drag will not   

set up until the slack line has passed  
downstream and begins to  pull upon the 
fly4 ,in the opposite instance1 when the
 fly is on a  swift run and the line in 
slow water1 the cast being so made that 
the slack lies in the swifter current1  
the fly will float without  drag until  
it has taken up the slack1 when the line
 will retard it4  ,how1 when1 and where 
drag will occur is not only a matter of 
the  set and strength of the currents   
acting upon fly and line1 but also      
dependent upon the point from which the 
angler casts in relation  to the        
currents--obviously a matter which      
cannot be detailed in a  manner to cover
 satisfactorily even a few of the       
situations where  drag is likely to     
occur4 ,the angler must practically     
solve each  problem of this sort for    
himself1 as it is presented in the      
course  of the day's fishing4 ,but in   
practically every case the slack-line   
cast1 varied to suit the occasion1 is   
the best way out of the  difficulty4    

,the usual way in which the slack-line  
cast is made may be described  as       
follows3 ,the angler1 in lengthening out
 his line1 strips  from the reel a      
number of feet more than will be        
necessary to  reach the spot where he   
desires to place the fly2 then1 the line
  having been extended1 in making the   
final forward cast the rod is           
momentarily but decidedly checked when  
half way1 or possibly a  little more1   
through the forward swing1 with the     
result that the  line is doubled back   
upon itself and the fly settles down    
upon the  surface at the end of a       
considerable loop of line and leader4   
,the  motion of the rod should be       
stopped only for an instant1 and the    
rod should then be carried down to its  
usual position at the end  of the       
forward cast1 about parallel with the   
water4 ,a variation  of the above method
 of casting a slack line1 one which the 
writer  has found very useful at times1 
while essentially similar to the  method

 described1 differs somewhat in that a  
loop of slack line1  drawn from the reel
 by the left hand while lengthening-out1
 is  prematurely released1 when making  
the last forward cast1 the result  being
 that the extra line does not shoot out 
straight1 but comes  down curved and    
slack upon the surface4 ,to make the    
slack-line cast  and place the fly      
accurately--as when casting to a rising 
trout--is  a matter of much practice1   
and1 it may be admitted1 sometimes      
equally a matter of much good luck4     
,although the matter of striking a      
rising trout will be treated in  a      
subsequent chapter1 it should perhaps be
 noted here that the  seasoned wet fly  
fisherman1 accustomed to fishing a      
fairly taut  line1 will soon learn to   
strike his trout with the loose line    
most often used in dry fly casting with 
really fewer resultant  misses than is  
the average when using the sunken fly   
and a  tight line fished downstream or  
partly down and across4 ,that the       

average angler whose dry fly knowledge  
is confined wholly to a  greater or     
lesser familiarity with the literature  
of the subject1  seriously doubts his   
ability--or that of any man--to strike  
his  fish successfully with a slack line
 is1 ,i am sure1 a fact2 and this       
identical thing1 possibly more than     
anything else1 is responsible  for the  
hesitancy with which the confirmed wet  
fly fisherman turns  to the dry fly4 ,in
 point of fact1 the trick is soon picked
 up and  the angler finds his percentage
 of trout well-hooked really larger     
than when wet fly fishing4    ,two of   
the chief reasons for this are that the 
dry fly1 being a  very close imitation  
of the natural insect in appearance and 
7when  properly fished7 in action1 is   
generally taken by the fish with far    
more confidence than is the wet fly2 as 
a result fewer fish are  merely         
foul-hooked by chance or simply pricked1
 and unless the fly  is missed          
entirely--even the natural fly is missed

 at times--the  trout is generally      
well-fastened4 ,also1 inasmuch as the   
dry fly is  fished upstream1 and1 as a  
rule1 the angler is below the rising    
fish1 the direction of the strike is    
toward the fish and not away  from it1  
as is frequently the case when casting  
the wet fly  downstream4 ,that the      
tendency toward establishing a          
satisfactory  connection is greater in  
the first instance should be obvious4   
,the angler has only to learn to        
disregard the slack loop in his         
line--which1 of course1 must never be   
allowed to get absolutely  beyond       
control--and to strike with certainly no
 more force than he  has been accustomed
 to use in wet fly fishing4    ,to      
recapitulate1 before going on to discuss
 in a more general way  the matter of   
fishing the floating fly1 it would seem 
that the  chief points for the dry      
fly-caster to observe are somewhat as   
follows3 ,to use a single floating fly  
generally selected as to  size and color

 with regard to the natural ephemeridae 
common on  the stream at the time2 to   
cast the fly upstream1 allowing it to   
come down after the manner of the       
natural insect1 favoring the  horizontal
 cast to insure1 as far as may be1      
cocking the fly2 to  avoid immediately  
raising the point of the rod or         
stripping in line  at the finish of the 
forward cast1 but to hold the rod       
motionless  until the fly is well       
started on its downstream course2       
finally1 to  avoid drag by casting a    
slack line4    ,in general1 dry         
fly-fishing as done in ,america         
naturally divides  into fishing the     
water and fishing the rise4 ,the dry fly
 caster  when fishing all the water     
should proceed much after the manner of 
the wet fly fisherman3 the angler who   
has been accustomed to fish  upstream   
with the wet fly need not alter his     
general methods in  the least1 save as  
regards floating the fly and avoiding   
drag4 ,as  a rule1 it is best to follow 

or wade along the left bank1 looking    
upstream1 as this will give you an      
unobstructed right-handed  horizontal   
cast4    ,as the dry fly man works      
upstream and the trout habitually lie   
facing the current1 the careful and     
quiet angler seldom needs to  cast a    
long line--provided1 of course1 he is   
casting practically  straight up and    
actually stalking the fish from behind4 
,but when  casting diagonally up and    
across from either bank1 in which       
manner it may happen that a great deal  
of the water may be most  advantageously
 worked1 the familiar fact that keeping 
out of  sight is half the battle in     
trout-fishing must never be forgotten4  
,this time-honored rule of the          
trout-fisherman is1 it would seem1      
quite frequently neglected by even the  
most experienced anglers1  its          
non-observance often constituting the   
inexplicable reason for  failure when   
casting to a rising fish or when fishing
 a good pool4    ,it is always best to  

use the shortest line compatible with   
safety1  constantly bearing in mind the 
well-known very acute vision of  the    
trout4 ,the chances of failing to hook a
 rising fish or of  eventually losing a 
fish successfully fastened increase     
measurably  with the length of line in  
use4 ,moreover1 with a short line it is 
easier to prevent drag because there is 
less line upon the water4  ,on windy    
days when the ordinarily smooth reaches 
are choppy1 and  always when fishing the
 swifter1 broken runs1 a thirty1 even a 
twenty-five-foot cast is ample1 if you  
are fishing nearly upstream  and take   
pains to swing the rod low4 ,on several 
occasions1 having  allowed my fly to    
float down very close to me in order to 
lift it  from the water without wetting 
7if you lift your fly from the water    
when it is well away from you1 the pull 
upon the submerged leader  drags it     
under71 ,i have had a rise less than    
five feet away4    ,but to successfully 
fish close-up1 the angler's progress    

must  be slow1 careful1 and quiet1 and  
the rod must be kept down low4          
,overhead motion1 more than anything    
else1 alarms the fish4 ,you have  only  
to pass your hand over a can of         
fingerling trout fresh from  the        
hatchery to verify this and to          
appreciate the instinctive alarm  of    
trout at anything moving in the air     
above them4 ,avoid quick  motions--in   
fact1 dry fly fishing is a game which   
simply cannot be  successfully played in
 a hurry4    ,not infrequently the      
downstream wet fly fisherman covers     
several  miles of water in a day's      
fishing--,i know1 because ,i have done  
it innumerable times myself1 and ,i do  
not say that there is not  much charm1  
good exercise1 and generally a few fish 
to be found  in this sort of fishing4   
,but anything of the kind is strictly   
incompatible with properly fishing the  
dry fly4 ,the wet fly man who  takes up 
the dry fly method should understand at 
the outset that  the                    

cast-once-and-walk-a-mile sort of       
fly-fishing is simply out of  the       
question4 ,if you know your stream1     
select a moderate reach of  evidently   
good dry fly water1 and fish it         
leisurely1 deliberately1  and           
searchingly4    ,keep an eye out for    
rising fish1 and observe closely the    
natural  insects1 if any1 about and on  
the water4 ,cover all the water         
thoroughly1 floating your fly not once  
but several times over the  best places4
 ,if the water is equally good from bank
 to bank1 let  each cast be not more    
than two feet to the right of the       
preceding  one1 beginning under your own
 bank 7generally the left facing        
upstream7 and working across the stream4
 ,then move up slowly and  proceed to   
cover the unfished water above in a     
similar manner4  ,pools should be fished
 in the same way--covered thoroughly    
from  foot to head4 ,the matter of the  
most likely places to look for  trout   
has been discussed in a foregoing       

chapter and need not be  reconsidered   
here4 ,the suggestions to follow on     
casting to a rising  fish will also be  
found to have a general application in  
many ways  to fishing the water4        
,,chapter ,,vii    ,,how ,,to ,,fish    
,,the ,,floating ,,fly    7,continued7  
,casting purely to the rise is the      
orthodox way of dry fly fishing  on the 
,english chalk streams2 that this manner
 of fishing the  floater is of necessity
 subordinated to fishing all the water  
on  ,american streams has been mentioned
 heretofore4 ,save in extremely         
favorable localities where the          
conditions closely approximate  those of
 the ,british streams1 stalking the fish
 is practically  love's labor lost4     
,however1 large1 quiet pools may be     
fished in  this way if the angler       
selects the most propitious time for    
rising  trout--in the warm season a     
little before sundown and for some time 
thereafter4 ,extensive1 quiet reaches   
where the fishing is open may  also at  

times be resorted to with the idea of   
casting to the rise1  and some fair     
sport obtained4    ,regarding the       
sporting merits of the two methods1 ,i  
personally am  sure that if conditions  
allowed ,i would never cast a fly except
 to  a rising trout4 ,the visible rise  
of a trout always appears in the  nature
 of a challenge1 and my inability to get
 away from a place  where ,i positively 
know a good trout is located has        
frequently  resulted in my return with a
 pretty light creel4 ,when casting over 
a pool1 no matter how good1 while       
fishing all the water1 lack of  success 
eventually breeds a doubt as to the     
presence of a trout  therein2 anglers   
going before may have temporarily fished
 it out or  for some other reason1 the  
pool may be barren at the time4    ,but 
when casting over a rising trout        
everything is certain and  well-defined4
 ,you know where the fish is located1 or
 at least where  he came up2 you        
generally have a pretty fair idea of his

 size2 if  duly observant you can guess 
closely to what sort of natural fly  the
 fish rose1 everything is sure save the 
eventual capture of that  particular    
trout4 ,you are fairly certain that if  
the right fly is  put over the fish in  
the right way success will follow4 ,it  
is up to  you4    ,to cast with some    
understanding to a rising trout1 it is  
very  necessary that the angler be      
somewhat familiar with the habits of    
the fish when feeding upon the floating 
insect and also be fairly  conversant   
with the life histories of what may be  
termed the  fishing flies4 ,that rises  
occur when the fish are not feeding1    
that sometimes the trout roll up to or  
leap above the surface1  is well known  
to the experienced stream fisherman4    
,with this  feature of the matter we are
 not here concerned2 the habit has  been
 variously accounted for by anglers and 
icthyologists but the  motive of the    
fish in thus acting is still debatable4 
,however this  may be1 the angler may   

safely conclude that any visible        
rise--save  generally a clear leap above
 the surface--is a rise to the natural  
fly by a feeding trout until the        
contrary may appear from the  attendant 
circumstances4    ,it is with the bona  
fide rise of a trout to the floating    
natural  fly that the dry fly caster is 
chiefly concerned4 ,but in this         
connection it should be noted that the  
feeding of trout upon the  natural      
insect is by no means confined to the   
time of the latter's  appearance        
strictly on the surface4 ,of the        
water-bred insects the  ,ephemeridae1   
called duns when in the sub-imago state1
 occupy  the place of greatest          
importance in the entomology of the dry 
fly  fisherman4 ,in a later chapter     
something is said of the commoner       
insect life of the stream2 it should    
here be noted1 however1 that  trout feed
 upon the ,ephemeridae1 for instance1 at
 all stages of  their existence4        
,from the eggs deposited upon or in the 

water by the adult insect1  or spinner1 
in due time the nymphs are hatched4     
,upon these the  trout feed at times on 
the stream-bed and in the weeds1 nosing 
upon  the bottom and in the aquatic     
vegetation in somewhat the same way  as 
the common sucker or the ,german carp go
 about their business  of drawing       
sustenance from the muck and weeds of   
the stream-bed4  ,this habit of the     
trout1 when followed in shallow water1  
results in  an occasional disturbance of
 the surface by the tails of the fish   
and is called tailing in the            
nomenclature of the ,english dry fly    
fisherman4 ,in this connection it should
 be noted1 however1 that the  nymphs of 
the ,ephemeridae which burrow under     
rocks and in the  stream-bed and there  
remain until about to assume the first  
winged1  or dun1 state are practically  
inaccessible to the fish1 although      
doubtless taken at times4 ,tailing trout
 are usually feeding upon  caddis and   
other larvae4    ,subsequently the      

nymphs1 having undergone certain        
physical changes  while in the nymphal  
stage1 are ready to rise to the surface1
 cast  off the nymphal shuck or         
envelope1 and emerge into the air in    
the first winged state 7sub-imago7 at   
which time1 as noted1 they  are called  
duns4 ,during the rise of the nymphs to 
the surface1  when about to assume the  
dun state1 they are often taken by the  
trout with avidity1 and frequently when 
the nymph has neared the  surface a     
trout taking it will visibly disturb the
 surface or break  water--again in dry  
fly parlance called bulging4            
,ground-feeding or tailing trout and    
trout feeding in mid-water upon  nymphs 
floating up to the surface--bulging     
trout--are manifestly  not genuinely    
rising fish4 ,to consider briefly once  
more the life  history of the           
,ephemeridae3 when the hatch is on1 the 
nymph  upon reaching the surface splits 
open the nymphal envelope and at  once  
takes wing as a dun--an ephemeral fly in

 the sub-imago or  first winged state4  
,when the duns are thus hatching the fly
 may  float for some little distance    
while ridding itself of the nymphal     
envelope and drying its wings for       
flight2 a rise to the fly at  this time 
is a true rise4 ,it would seem1 however1
 from very close  observation of the    
water during a good many plentiful      
hatches of  duns1 that only an          
occasional insect1 as compared with the 
great  numbers hatching1 remains upon   
the water for any appreciable time      
while undergoing the metamorphosis from 
nymph to dun--the change  is in most    
cases practically instantaneous4 ,you   
may select any  certain area of water1  
when duns are emerging constantly from  
every part of a pool1 and watch that    
certain area with the utmost            
intentness2 the chances are you will not
 see a single fly actually  upon the    
water although many do1 indeed1 emerge  
from the water  under observation and   
fly away4    ,in ,american ,insects     

,professor ,vernon ,l4 ,kellogg1 of     
,leland  ,stanford ,university1 writes  
as follows3 ,at the end of the immature 
life the nymphs rise to the surface1 and
 after floating there a  short time     
suddenly split open the cuticle along   
the back and after  hardly a second's   
pause expand the delicate wings and fly 
away4  ,some nymphs brought into the    
laboratory from a watering trough at    
,stanford ,university emerged one after 
the other from the aquarium  with       
amazing quickness4 ,this from an        
undoubted authority1 with  my own       
experience1 comparatively short but to  
the same end1 leads  me to believe that 
rises to the duns on the surface at the 
time  of metamorphosis from the nymph   
are certainly less frequent than        
commonly believed and implied by dry fly
 writers2 the rise would  have to come  
at such an acutely psychological instant
 that the  chances are altogether too   
many against it4    ,in fact it would   
seem that when the duns are hatching    

many1 perhaps  most1 rises are to the   
floating nymph and not to the winged    
insect4  ,autopsy shows a marked        
preponderance of larvae and nymphae     
about to  change to the winged state    
over winged insects in the stomachs of  
trout taken under natural conditions4   
,furthermore1 ,i might quote  ,mr4      
,halford when1 in discussing bulging    
trout1 he says3 ,fish1  when feeding on 
larvae and nymphae1 at times rise       
quietly1 without  moving about from     
place to place4 ,it is almost impossible
 under  these circumstances to          
distinguish the apparent from bona fide 
rises4    ,all of which does not        
militate in the least against the theory
  that the artificial fly should        
correspond with the natural2 when a     
decided hatch is on the trout are fully 
aware of the nature of the  prevalent   
fly and if feeding upon it are quite    
likely to notice no  other either       
natural or artificial4 ,but the theory  
does1 indeed1  explain some phases of   

dry fly fishing which otherwise are     
quite  inexplicable2 for instance1      
inability to induce a rise to the       
properly fished winged artificial when  
its corresponding natural  is hatching  
and apparent rises to it are evidently  
common4 ,it  seems fairly certain that  
at such times the fish are feeding      
exclusively on the floating nymphs1     
taking them on the surface in           
practically the same way as the winged  
dun is taken4 ,also fish  thus feeding  
would hardly come within the technical  
definition of  bulging trout as that    
term is generally understood4    ,having
 assumed the first winged state1        
scientifically the  sub-imago1 the duns 
thereafter are upon the water more or   
less  during its continuance1 sometimes 
blown upon the water or  descending to  
the surface without apparent reason1 and
 the trout  rise to and feed upon them  
when in the mood4 ,in a short time the  
dun or sub-imago undergoes another      
metamorphosis to the imago or           

spinner--the adult insect4 ,the male    
spinners are subsequently  upon the     
water in a spent or practically lifeless
 condition  following the completion of 
the act of coition4 ,the latter takes   
place over the stream to which the      
female spinner then descends to  void   
her eggs4 ,this1 with some species1 is  
done upon the surface1  the fly floating
 downstream the while eventually to rise
 again  and fly1 generally it would     
seem1 upstream--unless the program is   
incontinently halted by the accurate    
rise of a trout4 ,the spent  spinners   
7spent gnats7 also serve as food for the
 trout--the  male when it has completed 
the act of procreation and falls to the 
stream1 the female when all the eggs    
have been voided4    ,excluding1 then1  
bottom-feeding or tailing fish1 also    
fish feeding  upon nymphs either in     
mid-water or1 as noted1 practically upon
 the  surface1 the trout feed upon the  
,ephemeridae first as duns and          
subsequently when1 as spinners1 the     

female floats on the surface  when      
voiding her eggs1 and upon both males   
and females when spent4  ,before casting
 to a rising trout the angler should1 as
 far as may  be1 determine the nature of
 the rise and the fly to which it was   
made4 ,the question of the right fly    
having been decided1 it remains  only   
for the angler to put the fly over the  
fish in the right way4    ,when you see 
the rise of a presumably feeding trout1 
spot it  carefully2 that is1 make very  
sure of the exact spot where the  fish  
rose4 ,unless this is done it will be   
necessary to wait for  another rise1    
which may never come1 or to cast        
haphazardly over the  approximate place1
 which usually results in failure4 ,as a
 general  rule the artificial must      
travel in practically the same path as  
the natural fly if the trout is to rise 
to it    ,choose your place from which  
to cast over the trout with two  things 
in mind--to avoid being seen by the     
fish1 and to lessen the  liability of   

drag4 ,keep low and cast not a foot more
 line than  necessary4    ,do not cast  
to the exact place of the rise2 drop    
your fly some two  or three feet above  
it so that the fly will float down over 
the  place where the fish rose4         
,moreover1 if possible1 avoid throwing  
your leader over the fish--which will   
not occur unless you cast  actually in  
line with it from below4    ,if the fish
 fails to rise let your fly float well  
below it before  lifting it from the    
water--for which the reason should be   
obvious4  ,my own experience leads me to
 believe that often a trout will rise   
only to a fly1 natural or artificial1   
floating over a certain small  area of  
the surface which sometimes the fish    
seems to have selected  for the purpose 
of feeding2 if the artificial fly fails 
to cover  the exact spot to which the   
trout is rising it may be the fish  will
 wholly disregard it4 ,frequently ,i    
have cast to a rising fish  and failed  
through difficulties of drag--and poor  

casting--to get  the fly over the right 
place in the right way until possibly   
the  fifteenth or twentieth cast1 and in
 the meantime have seen the fish  rise  
to the natural fly within six inches of 
the artificial4 ,but  when ,i have had  
the right fly and by dint of persistent 
casting  have at last floated it over   
the exact spot--the dead line for  the  
natural fly--the response has almost    
always been instantaneous  and emphatic4
 ,so ,i would advise not letting up on a
 rising fish  until you are sure that   
what may be termed the feeding zone of  
the  trout--often very restricted--has  
been covered by your fly while  cocked  
and floating in an absolutely natural   
way4    ,at the same time it is poor    
business to keep hammering away at a    
very particular fish for the simple     
reason that the more you cast  to him   
the more shy and finicky he is apt to   
become--certainly  if the casting is not
 done with the utmost possible skill and
  unobtrusiveness--and eventually you   

may set him down to stay4 ,it is  best  
to divide your attentions1 fishing the  
water above or below1  and returning    
from time to time to make some          
half-dozen casts over  the reluctant    
one4    ,i believe it pays best when    
fishing all the water to use a  fairly  
large fly--as dry flies go--say a fly   
dressed on a ,no4 #aj  long-shanked     
hook4 ,i have had particularly good     
results from the  floaters tied on these
 long-shanked hooks and am of the       
opinion  that for average dry fly       
fishing under ,american conditions1 when
  fishing all the water1 they are more  
successful than the orthodox  patterns4 
,this goes for the larger1 deeper       
streams and1 as noted1  for fishing all 
the water4 ,for small stream fishing    
smaller flies  are preferable4 ,so far  
as ,i know dry fly patterns on ,no4 #aj 
long-shanked hooks are procurable only  
from ,william ,mills  ,son1  ,new ,york4
    ,but when casting to a rising trout1
 even if you cannot discern  to what fly

 the fish is rising it is best to       
discard the fancy  pattern--hare's ear1 
,wickham1 or coachman1 which are        
generally  best to use when fishing all 
the water for general results--and  to  
put up an imitation of some one of the  
duns1 olive1 iron blue1  whirling blue1 
and so on1 dressed on a ,no4 #ab or #ad 
hook which  best approximate in size the
 natural ephemera ordinarily prevalent  
on the trout streams4 ,the common-sense 
of this should not need  argument1 and  
it is best to try the small dun before  
possibly  setting down the fish with a  
fancy pattern4    ,from the above it    
could be gathered that one of the       
approximately  exact imitations of the  
duns might be superior to a so-called   
fancy pattern for steady fishing1       
fishing all the water2 and1  indeed1    
upon occasions1 this is certainly the   
case4 ,in the season  of #aiaa ,i was   
out one day with a wet fly fisherman on 
one of the  smaller ,berkshire streams1 
upon which occasion we took eight trout 

from a small pool at the foot of a      
falls4 ,the wet fly man1 who1 by  the   
way1 has played the game some           
thirty-five years during which  time he 
has learned some few things about it1   
took two fish with  the coachman and    
then cast for fully half an hour without
 results4  ,in the meantime ,i busied   
myself with the camera1 by no means1    
however1 failing to note several rises  
in various parts of the pool4    ,when  
the wet fly man had gone on about his   
nefarious business ,i  rested the pool  
while putting up an olive dun dressed on
 a ,no4 #ad  hook4 ,shortly thereafter  
,i had six good trout for my pains and a
  still greater respect for the great   
little dry fly--in addition to  a good  
working bulge on the veteran4 ,but below
 the pool ,i could  do nothing with the 
little dun and ,i was eventually        
compelled to  return to my favorite     
golden ribbed hare's ear with which ,i  
then  killed several good fish4    ,for 
straightaway all-water fishing it would 

seem that a good fancy  pattern1 rather 
large1 ordinarily gives the best        
results1 save  over very clear or low   
water when everything depends upon      
refining  the tackle4 ,moreover1 when   
fishing the water it is distinctly      
easier to keep a comparatively large fly
 dry and floating--the very  small      
patterns when in constant use soon      
become thoroughly soaked  and difficult 
to float4          ,,chapter ,,viii     
,,insects ,,of ,,the ,,trout ,,stream   
,the order ,ephemeridae includes the    
natural insects most  important to the  
dry fly-fisherman1 the ,may flies and   
other day  or ephemeral flies2 of the   
life history of these ,insects a fairly 
complete sketch has been given in the   
preceding chapter4 ,of course  the      
locality will determine ,in great       
measure the natural flies  which the    
angler must approximate with his        
artificials1 the duns  having precedence
 practically everywhere1 but the caddis 
flies1  ,trichoptera1 are quite certain 

to be prevalent at times1 and  also the 
stone flies1 ,plecoptera2 in addition   
there are many  small two-winged        
insects1 ,diptera1 which occasionally   
appear on  the water4 ,however1 the     
strictly water-bred flies1 such as the  
,may  flies and duns1 caddis and stone  
flies1 are practically the only  ones   
with which the angler is intimately     
concerned4    ,the life histories of the
 caddis and stone flies1 with which the 
writer does not feel sufficiently       
familiar to warrant discussion1  are    
very interestingly given by ,prof4      
,vernon ,l4 ,kellogg in his  book1 to   
which ,i have previously alluded1       
,american ,insects1 a  volume1 by the   
way1 invaluable to the tentative        
,american dry fly  fisherman4           
7,published by ,henry ,holt  ,company1  
,new ,york47    ,so it was that my first
 summer's camping and climbing in  the  
,rockies acquired a special interest    
from the slight  acquaintanceship ,i    
then made with a group of insects which1

  unfortunately1 are so little known and
 studied in this country that  the      
amateur has practically no written help 
at all to enable him  to become         
acquainted with their various kinds4    
,these insects are  the caddis flies2   
not limited in their distribution by any
 means to  the ,rocky ,mountains1 but   
found all over the country where there  
are  streams4 ,but it is in mountain    
streams that the caddis flies become    
conspicuous by their own abundance and  
by the scarcity of other  kinds of      
insects4    ,in ,europe the caddis flies
 have been pretty well studied and more 
than #ejj kinds are known4 ,in this     
country about #aej kinds have  been     
determined1 but these are only a        
fraction of the species  which occur    
here4 ,popularly the adults are hardly  
known at all1  the knowledge of the     
group being almost restricted to the    
aquatic  larvae1 whose cleverly built   
protecting cases or houses made of      
sand1 pebbles1 or bits of wood held     

together with silken threads  give the  
insects their common name1 i4 e41 case  
or caddis worms4    ,the cases are      
familiar objects in most clear streams  
and  ponds4 ,there is great variety in  
the materials used and in the  size and 
shape of the cases1 each kind of caddis 
worm having a  particular and constant  
style of house-building4 ,grains of sand
  may be fastened together to form tiny1
 smooth-walled1 symmetrical             
cornucopias1 or small stones to form    
larger1 rough-walled1  irregular        
cylinders4 ,small bits of twigs or pine 
needles may be  used2 and these chips   
may be laid longitudinally or           
transversely  and with projecting ends4 
,small snail-shells or bits of leaves   
and  grass may serve for building       
materials4    ,while most of the cases  
are free and are carried about by the   
worm in its ramblings1 some are fastened
 to the boulders or rock  banks or bed  
of the stream4 ,these fixed cases are   
usually composed  of bits of stone or   

smooth pebbles irregularly tied together
 with  silken threads4 ,in all the cases
 silk spun by the caddis worm is  used  
to tie or cement together the foreign   
building materials1 and  often a        
complete inner silken lining is made4   
,the larvae within the cases are worm-  
or caterpillar-like1 with  head and     
thorax usually brown and horny-walled1  
while the rest of  the body is soft and 
whitish4 ,the head with the mouth-parts1
 and  the thorax with the long strong   
legs1 are the only parts of the  body   
that project from the protecting case1  
and hence need to be  specially         
hardened4 ,at the posterior tip of the  
abdomen is a pair  of strong hooks      
pointing outward4 ,these hooks can be   
fastened  into the sides of the case and
 thus hold the larva safely in  its     
house4444 ,the caddis worm crawls slowly
 about searching for  food1 which       
consists of vegetable matter4 ,those    
larvae which have  fixed cases have to  
leave it in search of food4 ,some of    

them make  occasional foraging          
expeditions to considerable distances   
from  home4 ,others have the interesting
 habit of spinning nearby a tiny  net   
fastened and stretched in such a way    
that its broad shallow  mouth is        
directed upstream1 so that the current  
may bring into it  the small aquatic    
creatures which serve these             
caddis-fishermen as  food4 ,the caddis  
flies live several months1 and according
 to ,howard  some pass the winter in the
 larval stage4    ,when the caddis worms
 are ready to transform they withdraw   
wholly  into the case and close the     
opening with a loose wall of stones or  
chips and silk4 ,this wall keeps out    
enemies1 but always admits the  water   
which is necessary for respiration4444  
,when ready to issue  the pupa usually  
comes out from the submerged case1      
crawls up on  some support above water  
and there moults1 the winged imago soon 
flying away4 ,some kinds1 however1      
emerge from the water4 ,comstock        

observed the pupa of one of the         
net-building kinds to swim to the       
surface of the water4444 ,the instant   
the creature was free from  the water   
the wings expanded to their full size   
and it flew away  several feet4444 ,the 
time required for the insect to expand  
its  wings and take its first flight was
 scarcely more than one second2         
certainly less than two4 ,as such caddis
 flies normally emerge from  rapidly    
flowing streams which dash over rocks1  
it is evident that  if much time were   
required for the wings to become fit for
 use1 as  is the case with most other   
insects1 the wave succeeding that which 
swept one from the water would sweep it 
back again and destroy it4    ,the adult
 caddis flies 444 are mostly obscurely  
colored1 rather  small moth-like        
creatures1 that limit their flying to   
short1  uncertain excursions along the  
stream or pond shore1 and spend long    
hours of resting in the close foliage of
 the bank4444 ,they probably  do not    

live long4    ,of the stone flies ,prof4
 ,kellogg writes as follows3    ,on the 
under side of the same stones in the    
brook 'riffles'  where the ,may fly     
nymphs may be found1 one can almost     
certainly  find the very similar nymphs 
of the stone flies1 an order of  insects
 called ,plecoptera4 ,more flattened and
 usually darker1 or  tiger-striped with 
black and white1 the stone fly nymphs   
live side  by side with the young ,may  
flies4 ,but they are only to be         
certainly  distinguished from them by   
careful examination4444 ,the feet of the
  stone flies have two claws1 while     
those of the young ,may flies have  but 
one4 ,the stone fly nymph has a pair of 
large compound eyes1 as  well as three  
small simple eyes1 strong jaws for      
biting and chewing  7perhaps for chewing
 her nearest neighbors1 the soft-bodied 
smaller  ,may fly nymphs71 and two      
slender backward-projecting processes   
on the tip of the abdomen4 ,the legs are
 usually fringed with  hairs1 which     

makes them good swimming as well as     
running organs4  ,the nymphs can run    
swiftly1 and quickly conceal themselves 
when  disturbed4    ,all stone fly      
nymphs1 as far as known1 require well   
arated  water2 they cannot live in      
stagnant pools or foul streams4444 ,it  
is perfectly certain that the nymphs    
serve as food for fishes4444  ,the eggs1
 of which #ejjj or #fjjj may be         
deposited by a single  female1 are      
probably dropped on the surface of the  
water1 and  sink to the bottom after    
being1 however1 well distributed by the 
current4 ,sometimes the eggs are carried
 about for a while by the  female1      
enclosed in a capsule attached to the   
abdomen4 ,the young  moult several times
 in their growth1 but probably not      
nearly as  many times as is common among
 ,may flies4 ,when ready for the final  
moulting the nymph crawls out on a rock 
or on a tree-root or trunk  on the bank1
 and splitting its cuticle along the    
back1 issues as  a winged adult4 ,the   

cast exuviae are common objects along   
swift  brooks4    ,the adults vary much 
in size and color1 the smallest being   
less  than one-fifth of an inch long1   
while the largest reach a length of  two
 inches4 ,some are pale green1 some     
grayish1 others brownish to  black4     
,there are four rather large membranous1
 many-veined wings  without pattern1 the
 hind wings being larger than the front 
ones4  ,when at rest1 the fore wings lie
 flat on the back1 covering the         
much-folded hind wings4    ,about #ajj  
species of stone flies are known in     
,north ,america4  ,the adults are to be 
found flying over or near streams1      
though  sometimes straying far away4    
,they rest on trees and bushes along    
the banks4 ,the green ones usually keep 
to the green foliage1 while  the dark   
ones perch on the trunks and branches4  
,this list of floating flies given in   
,chapter ,,iii41 comprising the         
,coachman1 ,cahill1 gold-ribbed hare's  
ear1 ,wickham's fancy1 brown  sedge1    

silver sedge 7or ,beaverkill71 iron blue
 dun1 whirling blue  dun1 green ,may    
female1 brown ,may female1 and spent    
gnat female1  will be found as a rule   
quite sufficient 7if the angler is      
stocked  with a fair variety of sizes7  
to enable the sportsman to match  with  
adequate fidelity any natural fly which 
may be temporarily  prevalent on the    
water4    ,in the matter of the         
selection of fly1 with regard to the    
theories  of the colorists1 formalists1 
and other sects of the dry fly1  much   
might be written1 but1 it would seem1   
matters of this sort are  rather out of 
place in a practical handbook for the   
mere beginner4  ,if the angler will     
follow the few simple suggestions made  
in the  preceding pages1 constantly     
holding to the idea that the natural    
action of the artificial fly is of first
 importance1 he cannot go  far wrong2   
and if1 as a result of actual           
experience1 he may wish  to go deeper   
into the science of the dry fly1 he will

 find the  relation1 theoretical and    
otherwise1 of the artificial fly to the 
natural detailed at length in more      
ambitious treatises than the  present4  
,it is very important that the angler   
use flies true to pattern1 and  as      
tackle dealers are prone to             
substitution1 and furthermore as        
different fly-dressers frequently turn  
out quite dissimilar flies  under the   
same name1 the angler should make sure  
that the flies he  may purchase are     
correct in coloration1 size and shape4  
,,striking ,a ,,trout    ,in a previous 
chapter something has been said of the  
manner of  striking a rising trout when 
employing the slack-line cast as a      
preventive against drag4 ,other things  
being equal1 success hinges  upon the   
angler's ability to strike at the right 
time and with  correct force--or lack of
 force4 ,when fishing downstream with   
the  wet fly1 which the fish often takes
 beneath the surface1 quick  striking1  
at the first suggestion of the strike of

 the trout1  is at a premium2 it would  
seem that when casting the dry fly  the 
strike should be timed just a bit slower
 in the majority of  instances1 although
 when floating the fly down a swift run 
one can  hardly strike too promptly4    
,to avoid drowning the fly when fishing 
up in a fair current the  line must be  
stripped in gradually and with the      
greatest care2 at  the same time it is  
well to take up every inch possible that
 there  may not be too much slack to    
straighten out in the event of a rise4  
,striking should be done from the wrist 
and with strict avoidance of  anything  
like a sudden jerk which will almost    
surely snap the fine  leader if a heavy 
fish has taken the fly or possibly tear 
out the  hook if the fish is hooked     
lightly2 the motion should be smooth1   
swift and even1 and it must cease at    
once when the barb has gone  home4      
,,playing ,a ,,trout    ,as a rule when 
fishing with the dry fly the fish will  
be upstream  from the angler when       

hooked4 ,if possible keep him there4 ,in
 the  majority of instances the trout   
will bore upstream1 or angle  upstream  
to one side or the other1 and will not  
turn and run down  with the current     
unless roughly and carelessly handled4  
,nurse the  fish along1 exerting a      
constant but not too heavy strain1 so   
that  he will continue to fight upstream
 against the current1 thus tiring  more 
quickly2 in other words1 play it safe4  
,if by any chance the  fish gets below  
you1 takes the bit in his teeth and runs
 with the  current1 go with him4 ,wade  
if you can1 but if this is impossible   
get out of the stream as quickly as you 
can and follow down along  the bank4 ,as
 soon as possible get the fish upstream 
from you again4    ,never try to net a  
fish which is downstream from you2 get  
below him  and let the current float him
 over the net--not away from it4        
,with regard to tackle handling while   
playing a trout1 ,i might  abbreviate   
here from an article which ,i           

contributed to ,the  ,outing ,magazine  
for ,july1 #aiaa1 as further experience 
has served  only to strengthen my belief
 in the methods set forth therein4      
,that skilled tackle handling1 after the
 rise1 is at a premium in  trout        
fly-fishing is due not only to the      
delicacy of the tackle  ordinarily      
employed1 particularly the very small   
hooks and often  fragile leaders1 but to
 the distinctly game qualities of the   
brook  trout itself and the usually     
difficult angling conditions afforded   
by its habitat4 ,there is all the       
difference in the world between  playing
 a fish in still and fast water1 and the
 brook trout is  essentially a fast     
water fish4    ,the way you will play a 
trout depends in great measure upon how 
your tackle is rigged4 ,if you have     
assembled rod1 reel and line  correctly1
 the chances are that you will soon     
discover and adopt  the best method of  
handling a hooked trout2 on the other   
hand1  if your tackle is improperly     

adjusted1 it will be physically         
impossible for you to go after your     
trout the right way4 ,the  necessity of 
saying something about how to adjust    
your rod1 reel  and line is apparent4   
,in his book ,the ,theory and ,practice 
of ,dry ,fly ,fishing1 ,mr4 ,f4  ,m4    
,halford advises a method of assembling 
rod and reel which is  directly contrary
 to the usage and advice of most        
seasoned ,american  fly-fishermen4      
,briefly1 his advice is to have the reel
 on the under  side of the rod with the 
handle to the left1 presuming that the  
angler casts with the right hand4 ,when 
a trout is hooked the rod is  passed to 
the left hand1 turned over so the reel  
is on top1 and the  fish is then played 
directly from the reel4    ,in view of  
the fact that ,mr4 ,halford is a        
universally acknowledged  authority in  
fly-fishing matters1 it would1 indeed1  
be presumptuous  in me to say that this 
method of handling a hooked trout and of
  assembling rod and reel is all wrong1 

were it not that1 as ,i am  quite sure1 
the majority of experienced ,american   
fly-casters so  regard it4 ,the practice
 of most expert fly-casters in this     
country  is to adjust the reel          
underneath the rod1 but1 in             
contradistinction  to the method above  
described1 with the handle of the reel  
to the  right4 ,thus1 when a fish is    
hooked1 it is not necessary to turn  the
 rod over when it is passed from the    
right to the left hand1  but the reel is
 retained underneath the rod at all     
times1 the very  best position for it1  
for several reasons1 for the business of
  fly-fishing4 ,moreover1 the best way  
to play a trout is distinctly  not from 
the reel4 ,it is taken for granted in   
the above discussion1  and also in the  
following1 that the fly-caster uses a   
single-action  reel4    ,i believe      
implicitly that the best way to handle a
 hooked trout1  the one sooner or later 
adopted by most anglers who do much     
fly-fishing1 is as follows3 ,having1 as 

above noted1 your reel  underneath the  
rod with the handle to the right1       
maintain at all  times1 both when       
casting the flies and playing a fish1 a 
loop of  line of convenient length      
between the reel and the first guide of 
the rod4 ,this loop of line is          
controlled by the left hand1 allowing   
the line to run out through the guides  
or1 when necessary1 drawing  it back4   
,use the reel only when the loop of line
 grows so long  that1 when you are      
wading the stream1 there is danger of   
fouling  the line4 ,when casting from a 
boat or canoe there is little chance  of
 fouling the line no matter what the    
length of the loop may be if  you take  
pains to lay down the line evenly on the
 bottom boards4    ,now when you hook a 
trout you do not1 at this very critical 
point1  have to pass the rod from the   
right to the left hand and1 what  is    
worse1 turn the rod over so that the    
reel will be on top4 ,on  the contrary1 
you stand pat1 as it were1 still keeping

 the rod  in the right hand and1 if the 
trout is a large one1 yielding the  line
 to him through the thumb and forefinger
 of the left hand1 or1  if the fish is a
 small one1 gradually drawing in the    
line--and  the trout--with the left hand
 without recourse to the reel4 ,when    
stripping in the line1 clip it to the   
handgrasp of the rod between  the first 
and second fingers of the rod-hand4     
,if the trout is a fairly large one and 
is hooked in fast water it  will often  
happen that his first run will exhaust  
the loop of free  line4 ,then1 when he  
stops running1 pass the rod from the    
right to  the left hand--you do not have
 to turn it over because your reel      
handle is placed to the right--and play 
him from the reel until he  gives in a  
little1 when you at once return the rod 
to the right  hand and strip in line    
with the left4    ,playing a trout in   
this manner one is master of the        
situation at  every stage of the game   
from the strike to the landing net2 and 

if1  at any time1 some unusual action of
 the fish renders the outcome  more than
 ordinarily doubtful1 your chances are  
many times better  for getting out of   
the difficulty than if you depend upon  
the reel  for the intake of your line2  
for instance1 every experienced trout   
fisherman knows that often a trout will 
run out many feet of line  from the reel
 and then incontinently about-face and  
run in toward  the angler--one of the   
most difficult situations the fly-caster
 is  ordinarily called upon to face4    
,about nine times out of ten--at least  
it is not safe to rely upon  odds more  
favorable although1 of course1 sometimes
 the fish will be  so deeply hooked that
 the chance is lessened--a slack line   
spells a  lost trout4 ,the rapidity with
 which a fish coming directly toward    
the angler creates a wake of slack line 
is difficult to estimate2  in any event1
 the fly-caster's single-action reel is 
utterly unable  to cope with the        
situation no matter how skilfully the   

angler may  manipulate it4    ,the      
fly-caster who handles his fish as here 
indicated is of all  anglers best armed 
against the running back of a hooked    
trout4 ,once  you have reduced the      
action of stripping in the line with the
 left  hand to a purely automatic       
motion1 so that you perform it quickly1 
expertly1 and without forethought in the
 matter of how to go about  it1 it is a 
very fast fish1 indeed1 which can       
accumulate much  slack line1 for the    
line may be retrieved through the guides
 far  faster than with any sort of reel 
and almost always with sufficient       
rapidity to save the fish4    ,it seems1
 too--indeed1 it is a fact--that when   
playing a trout  in this manner one can 
usually tell what the fish is going to  
do  before he does it1 and the value of 
this forewarning should be  obvious4    
,every slightest movement of the fish is
 carried to the  left hand of the angler
 holding the line1 and the least        
lessening  or increase of tension       

between the rod-tip and the quarry is   
instantly sensed and line taken or given
 accordingly4 ,moreover1 the  method    
insures against forcing the fish too    
strenuously because one  knows to a     
practical certainty when there is too   
much pull--a thing  far more difficult  
to estimate when killing the fish on the
 reel4      ,a ,,final ,,cast    ,we    
have now considered more or less        
completely most of the matters  with    
which the beginner at dry fly fishing   
should be familiar1  namely1 the correct
 tackle1 how to cast1 and where1 when   
and how to  fish the floating fly2 also 
we have said something of the insect    
life of the trout stream and of the     
playing and landing of the fish  when   
hooked4 ,but we have almost entirely    
neglected any hint of  the great        
fascination of fishing with the floating
 fly4 ,it is the  writer's earnest hope 
that these pages1 which deal so         
exclusively  with the practical side of 
the matter1 may1 nevertheless1 lead the 

reader to the stream-side1 fly-rod in   
hand1 where1 as he quietly  follows the 
stream and his sport1 it will presently 
appear that the  matters upon which we  
have herein placed the most emphasis    
are1  after all1 rather                 
unimportant--that the true reason for   
the dry  fly may be found in the        
sunshine on the riffles1 the cool       
lapping  of the stream about a          
moss-grown boulder1 in the quiet of a   
glassy  pool where the duns dance and   
the peaceful pines are reflected        
clearly4                                
,,the ,,end                             
,,transcriber',s ,,note    -,plain print
 and punctuation errors fixed4