18 FLY FISHING AND SPINNING 



flies and stream combined, they are able to induce the fish, 

 non-rising or otherwise, to rise to their fly. 



I have known dear old friends of mine contented to sit 

 in a hut, or on their mackintoshes, hour after hour waiting 

 for a rise which was occurring all through the day, un- 

 observed either by them or their drowsy attendant when 

 had they been younger, possessed of more energy and 

 knowledge of where the trout lay, they would have been 

 enjoying the delight of casting a dry fly, and backing their 

 knowledge and skill against the adverse circumstances of 

 non-rising fish. As a well-known sportsman said to me : 

 " I do not much care whether I catch fish or not, it is 

 the delight of casting a dry fly to every likely spot which not 

 only affords me a constant pleasure, but well repays a day 

 spent by the river side." 



OILING THE FLY 



We have now reached our starting-point, and before 

 commencing we will carefully examine our tackle. First 

 let me caution you against laying the rod on the ground, 

 as this is always dangerous ; for even if you should 

 never tread on it yourself, someone else might possibly do 

 so. Press the spear, which should be always fitted into the 

 butt end of the rod, firmly but delicately into a soft tuft of 

 grass, and you have thus both hands at liberty. If you 

 drive the rod into the ground with a jerk you will put a 

 strain on to your winch, especially if it be a Nottingham one, 

 which may injure it, and in any case a jerk can do no good 

 to the rod. When you have no spear, place the butt of 

 the rod on the ground and let the upper part rest against 

 the body between the arms. You have, as before, your 

 hands at liberty. Now the rod is standing up out of any 

 danger, and we must look carefully at the gut cast and 

 at the fly, and see that they are in good order. Everything 



