32 THE SCIENCE OF DRY FLY FISHING. 



on still water, is essential for dry fly fishing. The reasons 

 are that the dry fly must not be influenced by any 

 motion of the line or rod after it has alighted, and by 

 casting up stream the fly floats down towards the fisher- 

 man, who steadily takes up the slack line as it approaches 

 him, either by the reel or by raising the point of his rod, 

 and without interfering with that portion of the line and 

 cast floating on the water near the fly, thus letting 

 the fly float easily and naturally down stream, as the 

 live fly would, avoiding dragging, which is fatal to 

 success. 



The dry fly fisherman, all circumstances being alike, is 

 far less likely to be seen by the trout than his brother 

 wet fly fisherman, and consequently can take his sport more 

 at his ease. For he of the wet fly who fishes up stream 

 has to use a shorter line, and is consequently nearer the fish, 

 while he who fishes down stream is faced by the trout, 

 and has to exercise the greatest caution in order to escape 

 observation. Trout lie invariably with their heads pointed 

 up stream or against the current, and are in consequence 

 looking up stream away from the dry fly artist but towards 

 the wet fly man. Trout can easily see from a point right 

 ahead to an angle of 150 degrees on either side, leaving an 

 angle of about 60 degrees in which the fisherman may escape 

 observation, so that in fishing right across stream and 

 up stream in any place outside this zone of safety, he 

 must endeavour to be as near the surface of the 



