30 ROD & CREEL 



result was that for nearly one and one-half hours I tried those 

 fish and I got just one. A friend of mine who was fishing close 

 by me was in the same fix ; I think he got two. The hatch of flies 

 stopped as quickly as it began and we went in to lunch. Now if 

 I had had the materials to tie a suitable fly I could undoubtedly 

 have hooked fish as fast as I could land them. Incidently I may 

 say that another man who was fishing within a half mile at the 

 same time saw no such rise but was getting quite good sport 

 with a Jock Scott. 



There are two methods of fly fishing, the wet and the dry. 

 The latter is an art in itself and as yet is little practised on this 

 continent though it is rapidly coming into use. 



Wet fly fishing, or "the chuck and chance it" method as it 

 is often called by exponents of the more scientific form, does 

 not require an enormous amount of practice for ordinary work, 

 though to master the intricacies of the various casts such as the 

 "loop" and "wind casts" is another matter. It is quite hopeless 

 to attempt to learn such things even from the best of books, 

 nothing but lessons from an expert and actual practice will be 

 of much use. The ordinary overhead cast is a fairly simple mat- 

 ter and some points as to how it should be done may give the 

 beginner an idea how to go about it. Before, however, this sub- 

 ject is touched on it is as well to remind you that to do good 

 work you must have good tools and this is especially true of fly 

 fishing. If you can afford it buy the very best that is on the mar- 

 ket, if not go to the limit of your purse. 



The Rod. For this province where the fish are of all sizes 

 and even an occasional salmon is apt to be hooked, the best all 

 round rod is an 11 foot or 11% foot split cane with steel centre 

 and upright rings so that you can shoot your line when necessary 

 or even cast a light minnow or spinner. The weight of the rod 

 should be at least 11 ounces. In the old days two handed rods of 

 about 14 feet were used for trout in large streams, but modern 

 rods are so greatly improved in casting power that except for 

 salmon and steelheads the single handed rod is all that is neces- 

 sary. 



The above sized rod is for a general purpose rod, but if you 

 are only going to fish small streams or lakes where 2-pound fish 

 are as large as you are likely to get, a shorter rod without the 

 steel centre can be purchased. A 9% foot rod weighing about 

 9 ounces would do very well. 



Lines. In fly fishing the line is a most important item of 

 your outfit, and no matter what sort of a rod or reel you have, be 

 sure that you have the best of double tapered lines made of the 

 very best waterproofed silk, and have it on the heavy rather than 

 on the light side. In buying your line you must of course be 

 guided by the rod you are going to use, as a line that would suit 



