WET FLY FISHING 131 



the fly is well below the surface, as is mostly the case 

 in wet fly fishing down-stream, the first intimation the 

 fisherman gets that a trout has taken one of his flies 

 is the pluck or pull at his fly. In the latter case, if 

 the fish is hungry, an immediate strike may force the 

 fly into the mouth of the fish before the fly is rejected. 

 In most cases, however, this pluck means either a 

 hooked fish or a missed one. The pluck in itself is 

 quite sufficient to hook the fish, and therefore, in so 

 many as eight cases out of ten, the hooking of a fish 

 with a wet fly down-stream cannot be claimed as 

 being due to any skill or quickness in striking ; while 

 in at least eight cases out of ten the fish hooked with 

 a dry fly or wet fly up-stream may be fairly claimed 

 by the angler as due to his skill in striking. 



WET FLY FISHING 



When three or more flies are being used on a cast, 

 the question as to the best distance which should 

 separate them is an important one. 



In wet fly fishing down-stream a long cast of, say, 

 9 feet, should be employed, and more space can be 

 allowed between each fly than when using a short 

 cast of 6 feet for wet fly fishing up-stream. 



If the flies which are being used are of a large pattern, 

 plenty of room should be allowed between each fly, 

 but this space can be reduced as the cast becomes 

 finer and the flies smaller. In discoloured water, 

 again, a shorter distance between each fly is advisable 



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