THE TEEATISE. 27 



that they were copied from nature. That is 

 clear. The Treatise tells you when you take a 

 big fish to open his stomach and see what is 

 therein, and use that; the first mention of 

 autopsy, usually imagined to be the most 

 modern of modern devices. This is not said 

 especially of fly fishing, but it can perfectly well 

 be applied to that. Not only are the flies copied 

 from nature, but they are uncommonly good 

 copies, considering the limited materials then 

 available. And moreover the time of year at 

 which the natural fly appeared has been 

 observed. Altogether, fly fishing has passed 

 its babyhood. 



No directions are given either for dressing 

 or for casting the fly. The general fishing 

 maxims can be summed up in a few sentences : 

 keep well off the water and out of sight, keep 

 your shadow, too, off the water, and cast over 

 rising fish. Strike neither too slow nor too 

 quick nor too hard. When you hook a fish do 

 not be in a hurry to land him, but tire him out 

 and drown him. Do not let him come to your 

 line's end straight from you, but keep him 

 under your rod, so that your line may sustain 

 and bear his leaps and plunges with the help 

 of your top and your hand. 



This last sentence gives the classic instruc- 

 tions for playing a fish with no reel. You must 

 keep your fish under the curve of your rod, 

 which, being long, light and flexible, takes the 

 strain and relieves the line. If you do not, if 



