128 THE SCIENCE OF DRY FLY FISHING. 



Navy Stores, Little, Eaton & Deller, Ogden Smith, 

 etc., and alas ! I have also been at times disappointed. 

 In spite of every care even the most careful retail dealer 

 may at times be unable to guarantee every cast he sells, 

 and I should never condemn any good dealer for supplying 

 me with a few faulty gut casts. 



The cast for dry fly fishing should be three yards in 

 length and tapering to the finest limit of safety. This limit 

 should be decided by the state of the weather, the water, 

 the time of the year, and the size of the trout inhabiting 

 the water in which you are fishing. 



Remember the strength of the cast will be determined 

 by its weakest length. 



Experience will decide the degree of necessary strength 

 for the fine points, and when new streams are tried, the 

 advice of a local fisherman or your tackle maker may well 

 be sought. 



Always have at least half a dozen casts of fine and 

 medium gut in your box when away from a tackle 

 shop, also a plentiful supply of fine gut points, fifteen to 

 eighteen inches in length. During the day when fishing keep 

 one cast in your damping box, and always where possible 

 soak a new cast for at least thirty minutes in lukewarm water 

 before using it. Insufficient soaking or too much soaking 

 may render the best gut unreliable. Keep your casts in 

 a round flat metal cast box, such as is sold by all 

 tackle makers, and always between white flannel. The dyes 



