WHERE AND WHEN TO FISH 103 



by over thirty-five years' experience on the 

 waters of New York State. And, by the by, 

 although he has used the wet fly for the greater 

 portion of this time, he will now take his fish on 

 the dry fly or not at all. 



The weather of four seasons had been crowded 

 into a single day and this at the end of May. 

 Although no insects of any kind had been seen, 

 we had been able to mark a fish down the day 

 before, when he had shown himself for an in- 

 stant. Having fished the smooth water on 

 either side of the centre of the current with- 

 out engaging the fish's attention, my friend 

 decided to "ride his fly" on top of the waves in 

 the very swiftest part of the current. To do 

 this effectively, and without having too much 

 of the leader on the water, the chance of expos- 

 ing himself to the fish was taken, as the fly 

 had to be delivered from almost a right angle. 

 However, it all came off correctly, and the fly, 

 seeming barely to touch the water as it danced 

 along, appeared even more lifelike than a nat- 

 ural insect. So, too, it must have appeared to 

 the trout, for, after a number of casts had been 

 made, a fish leaped directly from one wave to 

 the one above, upon which was the fly, took it 

 with mouth wide open and dived under. He 



