68 THE DRY FLY AND FAST WATER 



often the fly will fall heavily if just the required 

 length of line is used without "shooting." 



Where a fish is rising in the strong current, a 

 short line, not over twenty-five feet, will be suffi- 

 cient and quite enough to handle, as it is returned 

 very quickly to the angler. In this case the 

 "shoot" may be abandoned in the actual deliv- 

 ery of the fly and used only to lengthen the line 

 between casts after the retrieve, which should 

 be made only when the fly has passed consider- 

 ably behind the fish the exact distance natu- 

 rally being determined by the circumstances. 

 The line should be stripped with the left hand 

 to keep pace with the speed with which the fly 

 travels and no faster, else its action will not be 

 natural. Nothing but the fly and leader should 

 be on the water, and as little of the latter as 

 possible. Get behind the fish, but do not cast 

 directly over him. The fly should come down 

 past him to one side or the other, with the 

 leader always on the same side away from the 

 fish. 



Early in the season, if the weather be pro- 

 pitious and the stream in good condition, it is 

 not unlikely that fish will be seen rising through- 

 out the day perhaps not all of the time but 

 often enough to keep the angler alert. The 



