98 THE SCIENCE OF DRY FLY FISHING. 



It is just here that the great usefulness of a small, 

 light and collapsible butterfly net must be impressed on the 

 student ; no article after the rod, the line and flies, the reel 

 and the fishing net, is more important to the dry fly 

 fisherman. It is often impossible, and always difficult, to 

 catch the elusive winged insects which are floating by on the 

 water, or flying rapidly past, without such a net. With a 

 net, however, little or no time is lost, and fly after fly can 

 be easily and quickly netted and examined, and then compared 

 with the artificial flies in the student's fly book, until he 

 has finally determined on the correct fly to use. I wish 

 particularly to call the attention of the reader to page xxiv., 

 as the design and description of such a net is shewn on that 

 page. 



THE CAP AS A FLY HOLDER. 



A good place to keep the fly which you have just 

 taken off your line is undoubtedly the cap. In this posi- 

 tion the flies are secure out of danger, dry quickly, and 

 are always very handy. The flies placed in the cap during 

 the day can be sorted and replaced in your fly book or 

 fly box when you get home. The only drawback to this 

 plan, is, that in wet weather the hooks, if allowed to 

 remain in the cap as it dries, are likely to rust. Flies in 

 the cap are apt to excite attention, and hints from friendly 

 strangers that " Your hat, sir, is covered with feathers," etc., 



