44 TROUT-FISHING IN BROOKS 



and skill will permit. When there is an obvious 

 rise on at some natural fly whose copy we wish to 

 present, the first thing to do is to catch one for 

 inspection, and this can be done by means of the 

 landing-net, or even with a twig or by hand. 

 The selection from the fly-box will be the nearest 

 possible imitation, especially in point of general 

 colour. The artificial is knotted never looped 

 to the end of the cast. The principal difference 

 between a dry and a wet fly is that in the first the 

 wings are well split apart to assist cocking it in a 

 natural position upon the surface, and to further 

 help in this the hackle is wound on more thickly 

 than would suit a wet pattern. I may here 

 mention that ordinary buzz-tied flies, i.e., hackled, 

 but not winged, can also be used with good effect. 

 The method of fishing dry fly may be briefly 

 summed up as follows. 



The wings and hackle (or, if wingless, the 

 hackle) are very lightly touched with the oiled 

 brush which is run through the cork of the little 

 odourless paraffin bottles sold, and two or three 

 yards of the reel-line are also rubbed with the 

 oil, or deer's fat, vaseline, etc. If the fly should 

 be over-oiled the excess can be removed by 

 delicate manipulation with a bit of silk rag or the 

 handkerchief. 



