162 CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME. 
Third Tourist: There is something in that. But don’t you find 
that you lose more fish your way? 
Angler: My experience has shown me that adopting my method 
produces just the opposite result. For instance, I was fishing in a 
place where the fish, although they were large, were few and far 
between. One day I kept careful count of the rises I had. They 
totalled exactly three; not thirty-three, but three. ow many of those 
rises do you suppose I hooked ? 
Tourist: One out of three would be a fair average. Two out of 
three would be remarkable. How many did you hook? 
Angler: All three. Two of the fish were landed; the third got off by 
coming a few feet towards me and darting off under a sunken log. 
I couldnt keep him out because the only possible method would have 
been to push him away with the line, which was impossible. 
Fic. 44.. A good type of reel for a dry-fly rod. Photograph by R. L. M. 
Second Tourist: Won’t you show us the rest of your paraphernalia? 
Angler: Here are a couple of modern fly reels. (See Fig. 44.) They 
are short length spools of large diameter. Consequently, you can 
wind up line very fast with them. 
Third Tourist: Did you ever use an automatic reel? 
Angler: No. I do not think that they are satisfactory. The reel, 
besides being used as a device to care for the spare line, acts as a 
counter weight and balances rod. The weight of an automatic reel 
is so great that it overbalances any normal fly rod. 
Here is an old-time fly box. This is known as the ‘‘Houghton’’ fly 
box and has been made for a number of years. I have had this 
particular one ever since 1899, but it is still in fair condition. 
Tourist: Why the ‘‘Houghton’’? 
Angler: It is named after a famous old fishing club of that name. 
Ever since 1822, the club has leased. or owned riparian rights on the 
