82 WHIPPING OFF FLIES. 



try another; flick! that gone too; another! 

 another ! ! and another ! ! ! This, every beginner 

 must expect, and even proficients are liable to 

 it occasionally. I shall therefore provide you 

 suitably, and when you can throw without throw- 

 ing away, you may expect to catch fish. 



Herb. Why is it that flies are thus easily lost ? 

 I have often heard mention of it. 



Theoph. Gut when dry is always more or less 

 brittle, and my belief is, that if that to which the 

 fly is attached were well soaked (especially close to 

 the fly's head), for about two hours in cold water, 

 or held in the mouth for ten or fifteen minutes 

 before it is thrown, even the veriest tyro would 

 not be so liable to this common accident. What 

 I always do, before arriving at the water-side, is 

 to hold in my mouth five or six of the different 

 flies I think most likely to suit, I am speaking 

 of trout-flies changing them, till I find one 

 which proves "the thing/' By this simple " pro- 

 tective," I might almost say I never whip off a fly, 

 whatever difficulties adverse winds may impose 

 upon my throwing. I have often thought it 

 would be well, for this purpose, to have a kind of 

 of tin pocket-book, the sides of which should be 

 covered with thick flannel ; which being wetted, 

 might keep gut-line and flies sufficiently moistened 

 for use while in the fields ; and thus save much 

 time, as well as many fractures. To understand 



