ARTIFICIAL FLY-FISHING IN RIVERS AND LAKES. 8 1 



into its several branches — River fly-fishing, Lake fly- 

 fishing, Worm-fishing, Minnow-fishing, Lake and River 

 Spinning, Fishing with the natural fly and "creeper," 

 and Fishing with the dry-fly. 



River Fly-fishing. 



There has been much excellent writing devoted to 

 describing How, When, and Where to fish for Trout in 

 rivers and streams ; and this is one reason — want of 

 space another — why I shall not go very minutely into 

 those questions. It seems doubtful also whether anglers, 

 as a rule, read, or if they read, remember so as to derive 

 practical benefit from the detailed maxims and rules 

 laid down on these subjects. 



With regard to particular states of the atmosphere, 

 for instance, some writers think the presence of ozone 

 in a greater or a less proportion may probably make 

 one day more favourable than another for fly-fishing. 

 But what then .'' Nine men out of ten fish just the 

 same, and make the best basket they can, whether 

 they know, or think they know, the day to be good 

 or bad ; whilst as to " Where" to fish in any par- 

 ticular river, the only really available knowledge is 

 to be gained by experience, and the most general 

 instructions are all that can be given or recollected. 



Again, as regards the " How." The proper movement 

 of a fly-rod is very difficult to describe intelligibly, and 

 I advise all tyros who do not understand the art to get 



