THE VALUE OF OBSERVATION 27 



pull of the line as it straightens out behind him 

 will be distinctly felt, will give him a good idea 

 of the power and action of his rod, and serve 

 as a signal for the forward cast. He should 

 practise casting as often as his spare time 

 will allow over water when possible, but over 

 grass if necessary. He should not wait until 

 the stream is reached and actual fishing prob- 

 lems begin to press upon his notice for solu- 

 tion. His mind will then be occupied with 

 many other things; hence, the knack of han- 

 dling the rod should have been already acquired. 

 After the beginner is satisfied that he can 

 properly place and deliver his fly he should 

 turn his attention to the study of the fish and 

 the currents of the stream. If he has been a 

 wet fly angler his experiences will stand him in 

 good stead, as it will qualify him to locate the 

 likely haunts of the fish. Long and varied 

 though his experience may have been, however, 

 the use of the dry fly will open avenues of ob- 

 servation and knowledge that were hidden from 

 him while he practised the old method. My 

 own experience is responsible for this rather 

 broad statement, but not until after I had be- 

 come an ardent advocate of the dry fly, and had 

 abandoned the wet fly for good and all, did I 



