ROD & CREEL 37 



unnatural ripple which is bound to frighten any but a most unso- 

 phisticated fish. 



Always endeavour to make the flies move naturally. Let 

 them float down stream quietly with an occasional slight wrist 

 movement. This will open and shut the legs and wings of your 

 flies and give them the appearance of the last dying kicks of a 

 real fly. Another good plan is to lift your first or second drop- 

 per, if you are using more than two flies, clear of the water and 

 let it "bob" along the surface. This represents the action of a 

 female fly laying her eggs. It is most killing if fish are feeding 

 on natural flies. 



At first you had better fish downstream (for dry fly fishing 

 this is impossible) as the current will help to straighten out 

 your line if your casts are not good, which is quite sure to be 

 the case at first. When you become proficient, always fish 

 upstream when possible. There are several reasons for this, the 

 main ones being that your fly will float in a natural manner, 

 and it is much easier to hook a fish well. Pish every likely 

 spot carefully, particularly where there is any big boulder, 

 and the eddies at the heads of pools, but do not dwell too long 

 in one place. If you do not get a rise, change your flies and 

 try again or move on to other pools. 



If you rise a fish and he misses, your action must depend 

 on the character of the rise. Unless the rise was a very deter- 

 mined one and the miss was a bad shot on the fish's part, on 

 no account cast over him again at once. Give him ten minutes' 

 rest, If it was a short rise, i.e., the fish almost took it, try a 

 much smaller fly of the same pattern or some other small fly. 

 If the fault was that you did not strike quick enough you had 

 better give him a longer rest. 



In striking a trout quickness is necessary, unless it is a 

 very big slow taking one, and it should be done with a slight 

 wrist movement, with the line quite clear and not held against 

 the rod. 



Dry Fly Fishing. This form of fishing is an art in itself 

 and of such a comprehensive nature that nothing but a brief 

 description can be given in a book of this sort, moreover noth- 

 ing but practical lessons are really of much service to the 

 beginner. 



In this form of fishing, your endeavour is first of all to find 

 a fish feeding on flies, secondly to discover what sort of fly he 

 is taking, and thirdly to float an imitation fly of that kind 

 over the fish in a natural manner. If you succeed in doing 

 these things it is ninety-nine chances out of a hundred you will 

 rise the fish and his capture then depends on your skill in 

 striking, playing and landing him, all of which, with the 

 extremely delicate hooks used, are no mean accomplishments. 



