26 DRY FLY-FISHING. 



perly dressed spider will usually kill at least as 

 well as any winged fly, the former being made 

 with plenty of hackle to make it float. 



In other respects the tackle is the same as that 

 used for wet fly-fishing, the only difference being 

 that no more than one fly is attached when 

 using it dry. 



The method here employed is generally up- 

 stream casting, done thus : A good fish having 

 been observed rising, angler approaches the bank 

 cautiously, and a good deal below his victim, 

 then after carefully measuring with his eye the 

 distance, lets out the exact quantity of line re- 

 quired, and before casting dries the single fly 

 with which his line is armed, by either causing it 

 to describe three or four slow figures of eight 

 overhead, or a like number of circles, then with 

 an underhand or horizontal cast, which is best 

 adapted for this style of fishing, he aims at a 

 point some six inches or a foot above the fish. 

 Now comes the most difficult and most essen- 

 tial part of the whole process. The line ought 

 to be cast so as to allow of its being somewhat 

 slack just at the time of the fly touching the 

 surface ; so that it may cock properly, i.e. sit on 

 the water naturally, right end up, and next may 

 float over the fish without any drag from the 

 line. If the fish rise, he is to be hooked by a 

 gentle twitch of the wrist, hardly to be called a 



