168 TROUT FISHING. 



flies might answer a little better, and particularly if 

 these had been too much hacknied by other people. 

 But, in the long run, I have never found sufficient ad- 

 vantage from variety to be troubled with taking more 

 than two or three kinds of flies. As to carrying, as 

 many do, a huge book of flies, nearly as large as a family 

 bible, for common trout streams it is like a beginner 

 in drawing, who uses twenty cakes of colour or more, 

 where a quarter the number, if properly managed, would 

 answer the same purpose. The " piscator" however, 

 has a right to take what he pleases. He may go to 

 the river side with a book of this sort, or even twelve 

 pounds of lead in his pocket ; they will both, perhaps, 

 be equally necessary. But who has a right to find 

 fault? If he is determined to go well laden to the 

 river why let him. With regard to hooks, I have 

 always found the Irish ones far superior to ours. The 

 best, I believe, are bought in Limerick. 



Now I have given the outline as to tackle, I will 

 proceed as to throwing; not in my chair, with a pen 

 and ink ; but with a pencil and a book, on the banks 



of the river. 



***** 



THROWING A FLY. I am just returned from the 

 river (and, by the way, not badly repaid for my trouble), 

 and, as near as I could there bring the matter to paper, 

 shall now say as follows : 



In throwing a fly, raise the arm well up, without 

 labouring with your body. Send the fly both back- 

 wards and forwards by a sudden spring of the wrist. 

 Do not draw the fly too near, or you lose your purchase 

 for sending it back, and therefore require an extra 

 sweep in the air, before you can get it into play again. 



