8 THE DRY FLY AND FAST WATER 



fly are light no harm is done. And, further- 

 more, if showing gut to the fish really tends 

 to make them more wary, the sport of taking 

 them, in my estimation, is pushed up a peg. 



It is not my purpose to contend that the dry 

 fly is more effective than the wet fly, although 

 I do believe that, under certain conditions, the 

 dry fly will take fish that may not be taken in 

 any other manner. I do contend, however, 

 that a greater fascination attends its use. All 

 game birds are pursued with the same weapon, 

 but the more difficult birds to kill have the 

 greater attraction for sportsmen; and my pre- 

 dilection for the dry fly is based on the same 

 principle. 



My first dry fly was cast over the Junction 

 Pool the meeting of the waters of the Wil- 

 lowemoc and the Mongaup about fifteen years 

 ago, and the fact that I cast it at all was due 

 more to the exigency of the occasion than to 

 any predevised plan for attempting the feat. 

 Every day in the late afternoon or evening I 

 noted four or five fish rising in the pool formed 

 by these two streams, and repeated attempts 

 upon my part to take one of them by the old 

 method absolutely failed me, although I put 

 forth diligent efforts. The desire to take one 



