TROUT FLY-FISHING IN AMERICA 



ficial fly is the man who sacrifices no one branch of his 

 art to the rest (even if he excels particularly at some one 

 of them), and by a skilful use of them all is able, season 

 after season, and in many kinds of water, to catch fish. 



You will note when you read books on fly-fishing that 

 most writers on the subject seldom use the word "suc- 

 cessful" in connection with the word "expert." 



This is due in a great measure to the fact that by far 

 the larger numbers of writers are not anglers of much ex- 

 perience or they would not so easily fall into the habit 

 of calling all good casters expert fly fishermen. 



It will sound strange to many anglers when I say that 

 not one in twenty of the really expert fly-casters is a really 

 good angler with the fly and to call such an expert is in- 

 deed a misnomer. 



Do not accept what writers have to say upon this sub- 

 ject as "gospel truth" before making some little investi- 

 gation for yourself if you are desirous of becoming a suc- 

 cessful fly fisherman. 



In the large majority of cases the expert caster and the 

 expert fly fisherman are two distinct beings, so much so 

 that the man that excels at either art is practically ex- 

 cluded from ever excelling at both. 



The fly-caster seeks to excel in fly-casting, and he takes 

 his pleasure in so doing, while the expert fly fisherman 

 seeks to excel in catching game fish, and his pleasure is 

 obtained in that way. 



The man who endeavors to perfect his casting of the 



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