6 FLY FISHING AND SPINNING 



cases, to trust to his sense of touch for a knowledge as to 

 when his fly is taken. 



In the up-stream method of wet fly fishing, a short line 

 is used, and each cast is made with the definite object of 

 fishing either for a rising or for a feeding fish, whose position 

 is therefore either known or assumed. The flies are allowed 

 to sink a few inches below the surface and the rise of 

 the fish should, in consequence, be more apparent to the 

 angler, the fish in this case being mostly hooked by the 

 angler's initiative in striking. This style of fishing is 

 undoubtedly more interesting than fishing with wet fly 

 down-stream. 



In wet fly fishing up-stream the successful angler, in four 

 cases out of five, is dependent on his skill and alertness in 

 striking for his fish. In wet fly fishing down-stream the 

 angler is dependent in four cases out of five on the chance 

 of the fish hooking itself, and in this respect alone it will be 

 admitted that the greater interest must centre in fishing 

 up-stream. 



ADVANTAGES OF BOTH METHODS COMPARED 



I am convinced that the general consideration of the 

 relative merits of these two methods of fly fishing is often 

 obscured by the overshadowing idea of filling the basket. 

 This anxiety, however, has had but little influence on those 

 who have been instrumental in bringing Dry Fly Fishing 

 into favour on our chalk and other trout streams. 



To the dry fly fisherman the weight of his creel takes 

 second place to his love of the methods he employs. 

 Personally I prefer to fish with a dry fly, even if I achieve 

 nothing but an occasional rise, to fishing with a wet fly, 

 and killing a number of fish. Nay ! I can regard with 

 perfect composure the success of a brother angler, who, in 

 using the wet fly, or even the worm, on the same water 



