MAYFLY AND LAKE FISHING 89 



of angling. The outfit consists of a long 

 rod, to which is attached a very light silk 

 line. The Mayfly is attached to a special 

 hook or hooks, and with the breeze behind 

 him, the angler allows the line to drift out, 

 so that the fly settles like thistledown on 

 the water. On rivers the angler generally 

 uses an artificial Mayfly. The latter is tied 

 on a long may-hook ; and if winged, the 

 wings are usually composed of summer-duck 

 feathers. Floating Mayflies are cork-bodied 

 and are thus extremely buoyant. On the 

 dry-fly rivers, where the Mayfly comes on 

 in thousands, a winged or hackled artificial 

 is the fashionable lure. When fishing a 

 single artificial Mayfly, the cast need not be 

 longer than two yards, and may be tapered 

 from stout trout to 2x drawn. The fineness of 

 the taper will, of course, depend on the average 

 size of the trout likely to be caught as well 

 as on the skill of the fisherman. A dry-fly 

 rod from 9 feet to 10 feet in length makes 

 a serviceable weapon for this style of fishing. 

 The lure is cast in the same way as an ordi- 

 nary dry or wet fly. When the trout are 

 really taking the Mayfly well, a hackle 

 pattern artificial, fished wet, often kills much 

 better than the " floater." 



N.B. When casting with the natural fly, 



