NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLY-FISHING. 445 



to a great extent, and, indeed, wherever the salmonidce are 

 found, it may be freely indulged in. 



Natural fly-fishing consists in the use of the various 

 living flies, grasshoppers, &c., which are found on the banks 

 of rivers and lakes. It is practised by a process which is 

 called dipping, but chiefly in such situations as are so 

 much overhung with bushes as to preclude the use of the 

 artificial fly. In these spots the water is generally still, 

 and there is no possibility of offering the lure in any other 

 position than a state of almost entire quiescence. Hence 

 all imitations are easily discoverable ; and the real fly and 

 grasshopper, &c., are the only surface-baits which the fish 

 will take. 



Artificial fly-fishing, on the other hand, consists in the 

 use of imitations of these flies, and also of other fancy flies, 

 by means of an elastic rod and fine tackle, and by a procass 

 which is called whipping. All fish which will take the one 

 will take the other kind of lure, but not always with an 

 equal degree of avidity, as we shall hereafter find ; but as 

 the principle is the same in both cases, they are better 

 treated of together, rather than to go over the same ground 

 a second time. 



THE APPARATUS REQUIRED IN DIPPING AND WHIPPING. 



The tackle for dipping is much more simple than that 

 employed in whipping, and it consists of a moderately 

 short and stiff rod ; the spinning or trolling-rod, minus its 

 butt joint, answers this purpose well, of a short but 

 strong reel-line of hand-twisted hair of a single length 



