78 THE DRY FLY AND FAST WATER 



opportunity has been lost to him because of his 

 inability to avoid drag, for in this sort of water 

 the error is not always observed by the fish. 



There can be no question but that stalking a 

 feeding fish and finally taking him on an arti- 

 ficial fly affords sport of the highest quality. 

 The taking of a fish that may be seen but is 

 not feeding, either because of lack of food or 

 disinclination, is quite as difficult to accomplish, 

 however, and is productive of equally good sport. 



I relate the following story of the taking 

 of a trout under almost impossible conditions, 

 not so much to illustrate the success of the 

 method as to show the satisfaction that attends 

 the accomplishment of the feat. This individ- 

 ual fish is only one of many that I have taken 

 similarly in the many years that I have fished 

 with the floating fly, and the history of its 

 taking is given here because it illustrates and 

 bolsters up my claim that the dry fly repeatedly 

 cast over a sluggish, non-feeding fish will in- 

 duce him to rise. 



The last two days of the season of 1909, 

 August 29 and 30, found me on the banks of 

 the Kaaterskill, at Palenville, Greene County, 

 N. Y. This stream is a brawling one, resem- 

 bling many Rocky Mountain streams, and 



