160 CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME. 
running along the top of the water for a short distance. In olden 
times the antics they performed earned them the name of ‘‘caperer.’’ 
On several occasions on this-trip I placed my fly over a rising fish 
without any result. The fish was not ‘‘put down,’’ because it went on 
rising. Finally, I decided to see what effect it would have if I made 
my fly copy the motions of the flies on which the fish were feeding. 
I had already cast three times for the particular fish that I was 
going to experiment on. However, I cast and as soon as the fly got 
near the place where the fish was feeding, I deliberately made the fly 
move slightly on the surface of the water. Well, the fish fell for it 
and I got him all right. 
The same scheme worked again successfully once or twice, but until 
it has been further tested, it can not be regarded as a standard tactic 
to adopt. There will always be the doubt, ‘‘would not the fish have 
taken the fly without the artificially-produced drag?’’ 
The fish in that section were harder to catch than the fish here in 
the river. 
Second Tourist: Well, all I can say is—they took ‘‘some’’ catching 
if they were harder to catch than these boys here. Yesterday I fished 
for fully two hours, and never got a single bite. At home, I can 
always get a mess of trout without any trouble at all. 
Third Tourist: Back where we come from, we never see as many 
people fishing as we have seen here. I expect that hias something to 
do with it. 
Second Tourist: You spoke of ‘‘drag’’ just now. I don’t quite get 
you. What does it mean? 
Angler: ‘‘Drag’’ is a term used to define the unnatural movement 
of the artificial fly on the surface of the water. The duns and spin- 
ners, Ephmeride, do not move on the surface, they merely float quies- 
cent. Now, if an artificial fly that is intended to represent one of 
this family should suddenly start across the water leaving a wake 
behind it, the suspicions of the trout would be aroused at once and it 
would undoubtedly let ‘‘that queer acting fly’’ pass on. If they are 
very wary, they stop feeding for awhile, or as the expression goes they 
are ‘“put down,’’ which means that they gently sink to the bottom of 
the stream and do not come up again for some time. 
The water, where I experimented with a forced drag, was very slow 
moving, so much so that to all intents and purposes, there was no 
current at all. The surface was like polished glass. Unless there is 
a breeze to ruffle the water the fish are always difficult to approach 
under such conditions. The forced drag was successful when there 
was no air stirring. As I remarked before, the fish were feeding on 
a small sedge fly. I had only one fly of this type with me, namely, 
“the Welshman’s button.’’ The fly was so totally unlike the natural 
one that I did not expect to do any good with it. However, I had 
lately been reading a book by ‘‘Red Quill’’ (James Englefield), who 
is an authority. He stated that he fished an entire season with only 
one pattern of fly, namely, the ‘‘red quill.’’ He used it rain or shine, 
when the fish were rising to duns or spinners, and also when they were 
feeding on sedge flies. Thinking of his suecess I put on a small red 
