CHAP. iv. Spinning versus Fly-fishing. 55 



that is, a good imitation of the natural fly at the time on the water, it is 

 undeniable that the chances of sport are sensibly increased. Similarly, 

 if the reader will waive his prejudices for the fly, and will spin deep with 

 a small fish as bait, I will engage that he shall not only kill more, but 

 also better fish, than with a fly. I think I may safely say that if he can 

 spin as well as he can fly fish, he will kill three Mahseer spinning to 

 one with a fly, and that the total weight in pounds shall be again 

 multiplied by three. 



Still he may say that he prefers the fly, that he loves the excitement 

 of the swirl on the surface, and the rapid approximate guess at the 

 weight of the fish he has just missed, has all but caught, and has at least 

 had the pleasure of seeing, or better still loves to form a rapid idea of 

 the size of the fellow he is well into, and is in for a fight with, and 

 means to take all the more pains about taming now he sees he is such a. 

 grand one. 



He may say he prefers the fly, and prefers it so much that he would 

 rather kill fewer by that means than more spinning, on the same 

 principle as he would rather catch fewer with the rod than more with 

 the net. If so, by all means let him stick to the style of fishing from 

 which he derives most pleasure, and I will admit that, besides the 

 advantages already conceded, the fly has this still further recommenda- 

 tion, that it can be thrown farther than a minnow. There are pools and 

 runs the best parts of which cannot be reached with the minnow, but 

 that can be well covered with a fly, and there are sometimes places in 

 which, from rushes or weeds, the water cannot be reached at all 

 spinning. For such occasions a fly collar can be carried in the fly book, 

 and bent on till you come to ground where it can be exchanged again 

 for the spinning tackle. 



But as there are places where it is impossible to bring spinning into 

 play, so are there places where the river is so overhung with forest on 

 all sides that it is difficult enough to get to the water's edge at all, and 

 impossible without a boat to find room to throw a fly. In such places 

 even the staunch advocate of the fly will find it advantageous to have a 

 spinning collar in his pocket, ready for exchange till such time as he can 

 revert to his favourite lure. If he spins at all well, the result may induce 

 him to keep the spinning tackle on a little longer, and perhaps may 

 eventually convert him. 



But if he still prefers the fly, or at any rate wishes to use it on 



