66 FLY FISHING FOE TROUT. 



and shape of the natural insect. The second 

 is presentation, when action as well as colour 

 and shape is copied, and the fly is cast in 

 such a manner as to come over the fish in the 

 same way as the natural insect does. The third, 

 the practice of casting over individual rising 

 fish, is presentation also, to a higher degree. 

 And the fourth is both imitation and presenta- 

 tion in their highest forms; the copying of 

 shape and colour, the copying of motion, and 

 individual fishing, all combined in the use of 

 the floating fly. 



The first landmark occurs at the beginning 

 of things. All flies described in the Treatise 

 are copied from nature. The second and third, 

 upstream fishing and fishing for individual fish, 

 appear among Cotton's contemporaries. The 

 last, the dry fly, was not to come for nearly two 

 centuries. 



Venables is the first writer to mention up- 

 stream fishing. He discusses the merits of up 

 or down in words which might have been writ- 

 ten yesterday. The upstream fisher maintains 

 that he is not seen by the fish, and that if you 

 fish down stream you and your rod and line are 

 all visible. But the downstream man retorts 

 that you obviate this by using a long line. Let 

 it be noted that at this early date the two 

 schools are differentiated as they are differen- 

 tiated today : those who use a long line down 

 stream and those who use a short line up. 

 Further, says Venables, upstream fishing in- 



