TROUT FLY-FISHING IN AMERICA 



If Mr. La Branche had said that he preferred a stiff 

 or powerful rod for fly-fishing, or that the proper rod in 

 his opinion to use for dry-fly fishing was such a rod, owing 

 to the great amount of work placed upon it when making 

 many false casts between regular ones, no angler would 

 take an exception for a moment, because it is unquestion- 

 ably his right to fish as he pleases. 



But when he takes such an arrogant attitude as he does 

 toward Dr. HenshalFs views about the fly-rod and its func- 

 tion without differentiating as to the methods of fly-fish- 

 ing, the fishable waters and the governing conditions, it 

 seems to me, in all fairness, that one is more than war- 

 ranted in making a strong protest. 



I am sorry to say that this same spirit seems to be in 

 the blood of a number of fly-casters and dry-fly fishermen, 

 but let us hope that in time they may, to some extent on ac- 

 count of a fuller experience and a greater knowledge, be- 

 come inoculated with "the milk of human kindness" and 

 develop "the true angler's spirit." 



