ARTIFICIAL FLIES 55 



wet flies, you fish over all the likely places, 

 regardless of whether the fish are visibly 

 rising or not. The dyed-in-the-wool dry fly 

 man rather looks down on wet fly fishing, 

 which he has christened the " chuck and 

 chance it " method. He and other members 

 of his school somewhat grandiloquently style 

 themselves " purists," though I am sadly 

 afraid that on days when trout are dour and 

 bad to rise, they are not above resorting to 

 the " chuck and chance it " methods them- 

 selves. Joking aside, however, both styles 

 of fishing have their devotees, and both 

 methods kill fish, which is the main object 

 to achieve. ... To ensure that a dry fly 

 will float, it is generally anointed with a 

 slight amount of odourless paraffin. The 

 cast and a portion of the line are likewise 

 rubbed with grease for the same purpose. 



7. Fly patterns. 



As showing how even expert authorities 

 differ in their opinions regarding the numbers 

 and patterns of flies to be used, we may say 

 that Mr. W. C. Stewart, in his day a king 

 amongst Border anglers, employed but six 

 patterns, all of which were of the " impres- 

 sionistic " type. The late Mr. P. M. Halford, 

 famous as a dry fly authority, used thirty- 



