56 BROOK AND RIVER TROUTING 



the angler came to shore to stamp a bit of feeUng into his 

 legs, for the water was icy cold ; but he enjoyed himself 

 hugely and got quite a decent bag, besides adding greatly 

 to the scope of his accomplishment in the gentle art. 



The writers have seen the dry fly score heavily 

 during the rise of Iron Blue Duns, and they remember 

 one occasion when that most dainty and beautiful 

 Ephemera was sailing down in numbers, and when a 

 feathered imitation accounted for six brace of fish 

 from a weed-grown reach of steady flowing water. 



A word here must be said with regard to the timing 

 of the strike when using the dry fly, for the man who 

 is used to wet-fly fishing will probably strike too quickly 

 and at the most only prick his fish. In the former 

 method, before attempting to drive home the steel, 

 the fish should be allowed to turn with the fly in his 

 mouth. In wet-fly fishing the fish has often turned 

 before the rise becomes apparent. 



Many occasions could be mentioned on which the 

 dry fly has given the writers most pretty fishing. 

 Once on a Cleveland stream, slow flowing and edged 

 with most luxuriant vegetation, the wet fly, cast over 

 rise after rise, was totally ignored, but a change to a 

 floating Female Black Gnat at once worked wonders. 

 Had it not been for the innumerable derelict branches 

 and water weeds in which the cast was time after time 

 tied up, the creel would have been heavy. But the 

 enjo5mient was intense that glorious June evening. 



