110 



CALIFORNIA FI8II AND GAME. 



Let US sit down here and watch up and down stream for the first 

 si^n of a feeding fish. 



Tourist: Why not begin fishing now? 



Angler: Until you see the fish feeding on top, it is not much good 

 trying to get them with a fly. But in a very short time you will see 

 grasshoppers floating down stream and the fish will begin to feed. 



^. 



Fig. .j1. Jam knots for tyins small fly hooks to leatler. 



Tourisl : What kind of a fly are you going to use? 



Angler: This one here. I call it "the floating grasshopper fly," and 

 altliough it does not look very much like a real 'hopper when it is 

 iioating on the surface, it has a strong resemblance to a grasshopper in 

 a similar position. 



Tourist: How do you tie the fly on to the leader? 



Angler: There are several knots that can be used. This first knot is 

 the best for larger flies (fig. 29) ; then, there is this one (fig 30) 

 knoAvn as the "turle" knot, and finally the two jam knots (figs. 31 

 and 32). These last two are used for small flies. 



Now^, I will make a cast on that shallow water; you will notice how 

 the fly floats and you must admit that it does look like a grasshopper. 



Tourist : Yes, the resemblance is very strong. I see your line is float- 

 ing as well. 



Angler: If you remember, after I had put my rod together and 

 threaded the line through the guides, I pulled off about 40 feet and 

 rubbed the line down with this little pad which is anointed with deer 



^. 



Fig. 32. A simple jam knot suitable for fastening a small fly hook to leader. 



fat. That is what makes the line float, and if the line did not float it 

 would be much more difficult to either keep the fly dry or to sail the 

 fly accurately down over a feeding fish. Now, I will drown the fly. 

 It is quite wet now, but jiLst w^ateh while I dry it. I make the forward 

 cast — but well up in the air — and before the fly has time to fall on 

 the Avater I make the back stroke again. I do this several times. 

 Finally, I east the fly — you see it is dry now — and it floats. Watch it. 

 Tourist : That looks easy enough ! 



