THE TREATISE. 33 



not be forgotten that we do not know what they 

 actually looked like, nor must it be assumed 

 that because a modern dresser could make excel- 

 lent flies out of the old dressings they were made 

 with equal care over four centuries ago. But 

 after making all allowances, it is safe to assume 

 that his flies, though more coarsely dressed, 

 larger in the wing and thicker in the body than 

 those used now, still were fairly serviceable. 

 The rod, from twelve to eighteen feet long, 

 single-handed, was light and stiff yet springy, 

 and with a following wind or on a still day 

 would cast a hair line with delicacy and enable 

 the fisherman to put his fly accurately and softly 

 over a rising fish. So much for equipment. 

 The fisherman's watercraft also was not 

 wanting. He knew that he must keep out of 

 sight and keep his shadow off the water. He 

 knew that his fly must imitate not only a 

 natural insect but the one which was up at the 

 moment ; and that if he had any doubt all he had 

 to do was to open a fish's stomach and see : and 

 it is therefore not too much to say that he was 

 told to use an imitation of the actual fly which 

 fish were taking. He knew where to look for a 

 rising fish. And he knew that whenever fish 

 were rising they would take the artificial if the 

 right one were found; and putting all this 

 advice together we come amazingly near the 

 practice of fishing for individual rising fish 

 with a copy of the fly they were taking. 'From 

 Apr ill tyll Septembre y e trough lepyth, thenne 



