72 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 



and well-known superintendent of the Cold Spring Fish 

 Hatchery, informs me that the juice of the milk-weed 

 will remove this gloss. I have had no opportunity to 

 try this, but if when used in conjunction with the dyes 

 it will produce this effect without injuring the gut, Mr. 

 Mather by his suggestion adds another to the numerous 

 obligations he has already placed upon the angling 

 fraternity. 



The comparative merits of the different colors are 

 discussed in the chapter on Flies and Fly-fishing. My 

 experiments seem to indicate that a leader absolutely in- 

 visible to the fish, if it ever will be, has not as yet been 

 produced. Experiment and experience alike incline me 

 to believe that more important than fishing up or down 

 stream more important than wearing brilliant or sober 

 tinted clothing more important than Avading rather 

 than fishing from the bank more important than being 

 yourself visible or concealed more important, indeed, 

 than any of the dozen different cautions of the books, is 

 it to have your leader the connection between you and 

 the flies absolutely invisible ; or, since this seems im- 

 possible in the present state of the art, then at least that 

 it present to. the fish no unusual or unfamiliar appear- 

 ance. That in or on smooth water, at least, the leaders 

 in present use fill neither of these conditions, unless my 

 experiments, deceive me, I cannot doubt. 



Take this case into consideration from the Forest and 

 Stream of February 28, 1884 : "Near us we have a 

 stream in which fish-trout are scarce and wild. They are 

 exceedingly suspicious of any kind of tackle. ... I had 

 repeatedly cast the most tempting flies, with a mist-col- 

 ored leader, without effect. A soliloquy followed: ' That 

 leader is not natural to the every-day life of the fish.' 



