io8 THE DRY FLY AND FAST WATER 



trout without danger of drag or of "hanging 

 up." The fly alone must travel in this part of 

 the current, and the longer it travels in sight of 

 the fish the greater is the likelihood of interest- 

 ing him. Barring, always, the chance of error, 

 the probability of taking the fish increases 

 with each cast made. The situation confront- 

 ing the angler who fastens to a fish in this 

 water is a very trying one, and, if a fish so 

 hooked is to be saved for the creel, tender 

 methods will not avail. He must be uncere- 

 moniously bundled out and away from the dan- 

 gerous spot, with every turn and crook of which 

 he is familiar. 



Aside from the fact that fishing well out from 

 an obstacle gives a fish beneath it a more cer- 

 tain chance of seeing the angler's fly, the method 

 has an additional advantage in that it lessens 

 the risk of "hanging up" on one of the early 

 casts an accident that is very apt "to cut short 

 the angler's attempt if he tries to deliver his fly 

 in places that are difficult to reach. But the 

 angler who is unwilling to chance the loss of a 

 fly by placing it close to a mass of drift or over- 

 hanging branches is not over-anxious to take 

 sizable fish, and his success is usually meagre 

 in proportion to the risk assumed. 



