TROUT FLY-FISHING IN AMERICA 



easier to hook the fish with the dry-fly, and, second, to hook 

 the fish with the wet-fly would require the greater skill? 



Does it not appear again as if the dry-fly had the ad- 

 vantage over the wet-fly f 



The dry-fly floats and moves without any aid from the 

 angler after it falls upon the water; therefore, after the 

 cast is made up to the time the fly is recovered for an- 

 other cast, no act of the angler plays any part in the de- 

 ception or attraction of the trout — the fly does it all. 



How is it with the wet-fly? The angler makes his 

 cast, he then plays or fishes his fly until a recovery is 

 necessary for another cast — it is the angler who does it 

 all. 



Under these conditions and facts, where does the 

 greater skill lie, with the wet or the dry-fly anglerf 



The dry-fly angler at the outset would seem to have at 

 least three points of vantage over his brother, the wet-fly 

 angler, in that he has : 



First — ^The most natural fly. 



Second — The fly most likely to deceive the trout. 



Third — His fly is "always on the surface" with "everything 

 within the range of vision." 



It is only fair to say that the wet-fly angler has one 

 advantage over the dry-fly angler, which consists in the 

 playing or fishing of the fly or flies upon or under the 

 surface of the water, although this is not considered or 

 admitted to be an advantage by the advocates of the dry- 

 fly. 



63 



