74 THE DRY FLY AND FAST WATER 



ing to natural insects, the pleasure derivable 

 from trying for success is commensurate with 

 the difficulty of approaching and luring them. 



When the streams are low and clear great cir- 

 cumspection and care are required in approach- 

 ing fish or likely places and in presenting the 

 fly. The slightest error will be detected at once, 

 and subsequent attempts to interest the fish will 

 be effort merely wasted. 



The angler who carefully casts over and thor- 

 oughly fishes a likely piece of water should not 

 come too quickly to the conclusion that it con- 

 tains no fish. If it happens to be one of those 

 days (too frequent in the experience of the pres- 

 ent-day angler) when a great length of stream 

 may be traversed without his seeing the slight- 

 est indication of a rising fish, he may, of course, 

 if he be so inclined, comfort himself with the 

 thought that the fish are not feeding and 

 abandon his fishing. But I hope to show that 

 upon just such days the proper use of the dry 

 fly will measure the difference between an empty 

 creel and some success, even though that suc- 

 cess be limited to the probability of a single 

 good fish. 



An English dry fly angler fishing our Eastern 

 American streams by rote and casting only over 



