WET FLY FISHING, ETC. 117 



been hooked in the mouth by one of the upper triangles, 

 and the tail triangle must have swung over and caught its 

 eye. 



AMBIDEXTERITY IN CASTING A FLY 



The student should be able to use either hand when 

 manipulating his rod. There is fortunately no difficulty 

 in doing this when once the mental process of casting is 

 acquired. Many a good rising fish and many a difficult 

 but likely spot in the stream may be reached by him alone 

 who can cast with either hand. 



There is always the danger of a disabled right or left 

 hand or arm, and even when both arms are sound there 

 are times when a change of hand is not only pleasant 

 but necessary. I remember in 1897, while fishing on the 

 Wutach, getting an acute attack of fisherman's elbow in 

 my right arm, and for several days at a time the ability 

 to use my left hand in casting enabled me to enjoy my sport 

 with comfort and pleasure, when to use my right hand gave 

 me considerable pain. 



KNOTS USED IN TROUT FISHING 



Hardly a book on fishing has been written which has not 

 dealt with the subject of the knots which are used by 

 fishermen when fastening the line to the casts, fastening 

 two parts of a broken cast together, attaching a dropper to 

 the cast or the gut to the hook. It is, however, desirable, 

 while treating this subject fully, to do so in as simple a 

 manner as possible. 



The overhand knot is the easiest of all knots (see 

 Diag. 4, Fig. 3) and yet it is one on which practically all 

 other knots are based. The best method, in my opinion, 

 and the one I recommend for attaching an end of gut to 

 an eyed hook (see Fig. 2) is to pass the end of the gut 



