38 BROOK AND RIVER TROUTING 



ordinary waters can be made of ten strands of gut, 

 each strand either 12 or 14 inches in length and tapered 

 as follows : — First two strands of Quarter drawn, then 

 two strands of Half drawn, then three strands of 2x, 

 and finally three strands of 4X. 



Wet-Fly Fishing. 



It is with wet-fly fishing that it is proposed to deal 

 first, as this method is by far the more important on 

 the majority of North Country rivers, the dry fly 

 being a useful auxiliary under conditions to be detailed 

 later. 



Why, it may be asked, should the fish be more partial 

 to the wet fly than to the dry fly on Northern streams. 

 The reason is not far to seek ; for, owing to the roughness 

 and rapidity of such rivers, a large percentage of insects, 

 as they rise from the bed of the river preparatory to 

 hatching out, are carried many yards downstream 

 before they reach the surface of the water. Others, 

 getting into rough water, find themselves unequal to 

 the effort of emerging from their nymphal case, or 

 emerge with wetted and helpless wings, while many 

 flies, surviving these natural difficulties, are carried 

 down some rapid almost immediately after they reach 

 the perfect state, and get water-logged before ever they 

 have the opportunity of using their wings. Hence the 

 trout become used to taking much of their insect food 

 in a submerged or partially submerged state. There- 



