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CHAPTER X. 

 TROUT DRY-FLY FISHING. 



THE dry-fly method of angling 

 has probably sprung out of a 

 necessity, viz., how to circumvent 

 the wariness of chalk stream trout. 

 It has come into general use of 

 late years, and on rivers where 

 fish might be caught by the usual 

 down stream methods, there is a 

 preference for offering the fly dry 

 by votaries of the new cult. In 

 the Hampshire streams it is the 

 only way of catching fish. One 

 might angle for a week with the 

 wet fly without getting a rise ; 

 unless it was blowing big guns, 

 and the time the early part of the 

 season. One wonders how our 

 fathers made their baskets in these 

 streams, which were as clear then 

 as they are now, and to whom the 

 science of the dry fly was prac- 

 tically unknown. Have the fish 

 grown in wisdom since then, and 

 is the difficulty of alluring them 

 the result of education ? There 

 is abundance of evidence that our 

 forbears fished down stream, and 

 wet, and secured excellent baskets. 

 Several things have to be borne 

 in mind, which space will not 

 allow us to do more than mention, 

 such as the increase in the number 

 of anglers, the diminution in the 

 quantity of fish by river pollution, 

 &c., the freer methods of angling, 

 worming, spinning, and such like, 

 which are barred in modern times. 

 Even old Isaac boasts of his 

 bottom fishing prowess amongst 

 trout. These were the methods 

 practised on streams where to-day 

 the use of the fly only is permitted. 

 With such licence it would not 

 be difficult nowadays to do big 

 things. 



Dry-fly angling is most fascin- 

 ating. The chief interest lies in 

 marking your fish, and devoting 

 exclusive attention to his capture, 

 regardless of all his kith and kin, 

 and everything else in the uni- 

 verse. It is like singling out your 

 bird, instead of firing haphazard 

 into the covey ; one catches the 

 fish aimed at, and when that is 

 achieved, there is a delightful 

 sense of one's own importance in 

 bringing to a successful issue the 

 plot so carefully laid and patiently 

 worked out in all its details. 



The dry-fly gut cast is generally 

 two yards long and tapered to a 

 fine point. An additional link of 

 gut is added for the most delicate 

 fishing. These " points " are 

 sold separately, and the angler 

 should have a stock in hand ready 

 for use. For clear light water 

 the size used is the nearest 

 grade to drawn gut. If the river 

 is free of weeds, by careful hand- 

 ling, a 2^ Ib. trout need not break 

 one's tackle. Where the river is 

 weedy or not a chalk stream, it is 

 well to use a stouter point. The 

 additional strength of the gut will 

 be required to keep the Jish out 

 of the weeds. 



Flies o and oo are the sizes 

 generally used for morning and 

 afternoon fishing. .In the even- 

 ing, when sedges and moths are 

 about, larger patterns may be 

 mounted with advantage. It is 

 important to have the best make 

 of dry flies ; clumsy imitations 

 will be detected by the trout, and 

 only succeed in driving them 

 down. The finest I know are 

 made by Mrs. Ogden Smith of 



