TROUTING WITH OTHER DEVICES 145 



flies at most for medium and high waters, 

 and come down to two for low, clear, and 

 crystal. We practise three usually, at times 

 four, early in the season (when we then fish), 

 but should the water come below ' medium ' 

 of scale and gauge, then we use two only, not 

 far apart. Indeed, we are of opinion that 

 two anglers of equal expertness in up-stream 

 fishing will not differ much in results in the 

 evening should one use three flies and the 

 other only two. The greater numbers of 

 trout, we believe, are killed by the tail-fly 

 and top-dropper; and if an intermediate 

 dropper kills better than the others, then it 

 ought not to be an intermediate, and the 

 sooner it is changed to one of the other 

 positions the better, or a second and even a 

 third put on. The object in using from nine 

 to twelve flies on a loop rod and line, we pre- 

 sume, is to present a choice of flies, and cast 

 a longer line in order to cover more water 

 across and up. 



