DRY-FLY FISHING 55 



writers have more than once retrieved a bad day. 

 Quiet eddies too may frequently be fished with success 

 by this method, and every river has some places, and 

 is subject to some moods, in which the dry fly scores 

 over the wet. 



The first experience of one of the writers in dry- 

 fly fishing was years ago. He had fished for grayling 

 till noon on a bright frosty October day with indifferent 

 success, when, on reaching a long stream with the 

 current under the far bank, he noticed several fish 

 rising at the tail. In between himself and the fish was 

 a wide stretch of water some twelve or eighteen inches 

 in depth, and the fish were out of reach, as the angler 

 was not wearing waders. 



Now the occasional fish he had managed to reach 

 during the course of the morning absolutely refused 

 the wet fly. 



At the moment another fisherman appeared from 

 upstream and, wading out, immediately caught several 

 nice fish, to the no small envy of him on the bank. 

 Before passing on the successful angler vouchsafed 

 the remark " dry fly," and gave the writer in question 

 the " oil tip " in theory and in practice. 



Off came boots and stockings, and, with the shallow 

 water safely waded, the rising grayling were within 

 casting distance. So long as the fly — a Red Tag — could 

 be kept dry, so long did the fish rise at it, but they 

 would not look at it when water-logged. Between whiles 



